D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 50
March 28, 2017
Immortal Unchained ~ a spellbinding new Argeneau novel from @LynsaySands Check out the awesome #giveaway
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IMMORTAL UNCHAINED
An Argeneau Novel
Lynsay Sands
On sale: 3/28/2017
ISBN: 9780062468840
Book Description:
In a spellbinding new Argeneau novel from New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands, a dangerous rescue is just the beginning of red-hot adventure…
Ever since Domitian Argenis recognized Sarita as his life mate, he’s been waiting for the perfect moment to claim her. Those fantasies did not include him being chained to a table in a secret lab, or both of them being held hostage by a mad scientist. Somehow, they have to escape…
Sarita has seen some crazy things as a cop, but nothing to rival Domitian. A vampire? Seriously? But his healing ability, incredible powers, and their mind-blowing physical connection-none of it should be possible, yet her body knows differently. Now, not only do they have to save each other, but other innocent lives are at stake. Failure is not an option, for Sarita intends for Domitian to show her exactly what an eternity of pleasure feels like…
Out now! Grab a copy here:
HarperCollins Amazon BN Kobo Google Play iBooks
About the Author:
Lynsay Sands is the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She’s been writing stories since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there’s occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus.
Stalk her here!
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest
GIVEAWAY:
Win all previous Argeneau Books
A Quick Bite
Love Bites
Single White Vampire
Tall Dark & Hungry
A Bite To Remember
Bite Me If You Can
The Accidental Vampire
Vampires Are Forever
Vampire, Interrupted
The Rogue Hunter
The Immortal Hunter
The Renegade Hunter
Born To Bite
Hungry For You
The Reluctant Vampire
Under A Vampire Moon
Lady Is A Vamp
Immortal Ever After
One Lucky Vampire
Vampire Most Wanted
The Immortal Who Loved Me
About A Vampire
Runaway Vampire
Immortal Nights
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March 27, 2017
Read an excerpt of Purr M for Murder, a new #cozymystery from @RoccoBlogger #giveaway
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Purr M for Murder
by T.C. Lotempio
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
BLURB:
Sydney McCall left behind an ex-fiancé and a New York advertising job to return home to Deer Park, North Carolina and help her sister, Kat, run the local animal shelter, Friendly Paws. Determined to save the shelter from financial trouble, Sydney and Kat organize a cat café fundraising event at a local coffee shop. Things are looking up until their landlord, Trowbridge Littleton, threatens to shut down the event. When Sydney drops by his art gallery to make peace, she finds Kat–along with Littleton’s dead body.
Local homicide detective Will Worthington–who just happens to be Sydney’s old high school crush–is highly suspicious of the sisters’ involvement. Desperate to clear their names from the suspect list, Sydney pounces on the investigation. With the help of one of the shelter cats, a savvy orange tabby named Toby, Sydney begins poking her nose into other local businesses whose owners may have benefited from Littleton’s death–until the killer notices she’s pawing a little too closely at the truth.
Grab a copy here!
Other books from the author on Amazon
EXCERPT
Will glanced up. “Pretty observant of you, Syd. The ME will determine the cause of death.” He tapped on his notebook with the edge of his pen. “Why don’t you walk me through what happened. How did the two of you come to be in Littleton’s shop so early?”
“We had something we wanted to discuss with Mr. Littleton, and we thought the earlier the better,” I said.
“I see. And just what was the nature of this discussion?”
I shifted my weight to my other foot. “Friendly Paws has teamed with Dayna’s Treats & Sweets for a cat café event to benefit the shelter. For a nominal fee, people can have their coffee and goodies in a room with shelter cats that are available for adoption.”
Will glanced up, and I could see a light of interest in his eyes. “I’ve heard of those cafes. They’re mostly in Europe.”
“There are a few in the States, big cities mostly. This will be the first event of it’s kind in North Carolina. We’re hoping to increase revenue for both the café and the shelter.”
“Let me guess. That idea didn’t sit well with Littleton?”
Kat and I both shook our heads in unison and Kat exclaimed, “I should say not! He was in the shop yesterday, and he made his feelings pretty darn clear. He thought having the cats around would be detrimental to business. Heck, he thinks-thought-the shelter in general was a detriment to the town.”
“A sentiment you two didn’t agree with,” he said slowly.
“I should say not!” Kat returned, her cheeks starting to flame. “Syd and I tried to reason with him yesterday but he dind’t want to hear it.”
“And that’s why you decided to come here this morning?”
I nodded. “Yes. I put together a pretty good argument of pros for the event. I was hoping to appeal to his sense of business acumen.”
“Why did you feel this was necessary? Had he threatened you?”
“Not in so many words,” I said carefully. “But he did say yesterday that he was determined to put a stop to the proceedings, and we hadn’t heard the last from him.”
“Um-hm.” Will murmured, scribbling some more.
“And Leila Addams – do you remember her, Will? She’s a reporter for the Deer Park Herald now,” Kat chimed in. “Leila said that she thought Littleton was inquiring about starting a petition against showing the shelter cats – and the shelter in general.”
Will made another notation in his book. “So when was the last time you saw Littleton?”
“Yesterday around one-thirty.” I cleared my throat. “If that’s all the questions you have, we need to get going.”
He snapped his notebook shut. “You’re free to go for now,” he said, “but I will probably need to talk to you some more later on.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We’ll be here.”
The corners of Will’s lips twitched slightly. “Good to know.”
Once we were back out on the street, Kat hauled off and punched me in the arm – hard.
“Yow!” I cried. “What was that for?”
“For thinking that you could come here and face Littleton without me, for one,” Kat said. “I knew you had your fingers crossed last night.”
I rubbed at my arm. “Can’t put anything over on you, can I?”
She gave me a shrewd look. “So, how did it feel, seeing Will Worthington again after all these years! I heard he was back in town, but I had no idea he’d become a detective – homicide, no less.” She cut me a sidelong glance. “Funny, isn’t it, how you two came back to Deer Park almost at the same time. Like Karma, or something.”
“Well, I’d rather deal with Will than his partner, Colombo Junior,” I said. “Come on, let’s get my car and get to the shelter. I hope Maggie isn’t too worried.”
We walked through the alleyway and when we were almost at the spot where I’d parked, I suddenly stopped short. “Hey,” Kat cried as she ran full tilt into my back. “What’s wrong?”
I pointed to the empty space beside my car. “There was a white Lincoln there when I came, parked pretty badly. The license plate read TLITTLE. I thought for sure it was Littleton’s car, but if it’s gone…”
“A white Lincoln? That’s his wife Petra’s car,” Kat said. She glanced around, then pointed to the gym. “She must have parked it here instead of the gym parking lot, like she usually does. I wonder why.”
Another disturbing thought occurred to me as I slid behind the wheel. It would have been impossible for Littleton’s wife not to have seen the ambulance and police cars parked in front of her husband’s shop. Why hadn’t she come to see what was wrong?
Unless, of course…she didn’t have to. Because she already knew.
About the Author
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While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She (and ROCCO, albeit he’s uncredited) pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime – the first volume, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, debuted Dec. 2, 2014. Followed by #2, CLAWS FOR ALARM. #3, CRIME AND CATNIP, is out this December. She, Rocco and Maxx make their home in Clifton, New Jersey, just twenty minutes from the Big Apple – New York. Catch up with them at http://www.tclotempio.com and http://www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
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ROCCO’s blog ~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
GIVEAWAY
The author will be awarding autographed copy of PURR M FOR MURDER (hardcover – US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
March 24, 2017
I’m going on vacation #AmWriting #Editing
This is NOT where I am
Don’t be jealous. I’m not actually going anywhere. I’m just taking a break from blogging. Don’t panic. It’s only for a week. If you’ve read any of my blog posts, tweets, or Facebook posts, you may have caught on to the fact that I’m having a hard time juggling life with writing at the moment. Okay, you would have heard me whine. There. I said it.
I’ve always worked or ran a business until we moved to Istanbul and I started the writing gig full-time. When I moved back to the Netherlands, I didn’t think I’d have any adjustment problems. After all, I worked my legal gig from home for two years before I managed to set-up my B&B. Writing at home is a different kettle of fish. I’m all alone in my – admittedly awesome – office writing away and don’t have contact with real, live human beings unless I make an effort. Trust me, the worker bees at the grocery store don’t count especially as they’ve all started avoid me. Long story.
So now I’m trying to juggle a growing social life with writing. It hasn’t gone well and, therefore, my current project, Fat girl Begone!, is taking way longer than I expected. I decided to take drastic measures yesterday and emailed my editor to see if she had time in the near future to take on my book for editing. Not only does she have time, a writer flaked on her so she has time now. Like. Right. Now. *Gulp* I told her I needed a week and she agreed.
There’s only this teensy problem. I haven’t actually finished the first draft. Oops. Thus, my decision to cancel the weekend and take a blogging vacation. I’ve loaded up on coffee and milk and I’m off.
See you guys next week. Wish me luck!
Read an excerpt of the #contemporaryromance Damian & Layla from @DCTriana1 #giveaway
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Title: Sunset Reads: Damian & Layla
Author: D.C. Triana
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Published:12/26/2016
~ Synopsis ~
One year.
It’s been one year since Agent Damian Trent left for Washington without a word.
One year since he’s seen her beautiful face.
One year since he’s heard his name on her lips.
He’s been recently called back to New York City on assignment, to catch a criminal who’s trying to infiltrate Sunset Reads. The last thing he expects is to work side by side with the woman he turned his back on.
Having her close is an unwanted distraction that he’s more than willing to ignore, if only she wasn’t so damn tempting.
Everything seems under control, until a night of feverish passion has him abandoning all thoughts of reason. Now, he will do everything in his power to get her back, and even more so to protect her.
Layla Reece wants nothing to do with the man who left her a year ago.
The man who took her heart with him, leaving her broken.
After a year of trying to forget Damian Trent, she is finally ready to move on.
But trying to forget him becomes a tedious task when he suddenly reappears in her life.
Although she fights to stay away, his magnetism is too strong and she finds herself giving into the deep timbre of his voice, and the strength and safety of his arms.
Staying away from Damian turns out to be futile, especially when his kisses consume her and his heart shatters the walls she spent so much time building.
Finding herself in danger, she now has to turn to the only man she trusts to keep her safe, but can she trust him enough to give him her heart once again?
Grap a copy now!
William& Cristina ~ Damian & Layla
~ Excerpt ~
Dinner went by uneventfully, and Layla continued to talk with Carol and Cristina who were sitting next to Damian. She tried her best to ignore him and his intense eyes that seem to call out to her the entire time she looked over. Every now and then she would get caught in them and quickly look away trying to divert the conversation to the other end of the table. She had somewhat succeeded and when dinner was done she plopped herself onto the living room couch waiting for the others.
Obi, Cristina’s loyal companion, dawdled into the room and stood staring at her. “You’re going to stand there staring at me, too. What else was I supposed to do?”
He jumped onto the couch and sighing, plopped his head on her lap.
“I know exactly how you feel,” she replied, running her hand through his soft fur.
“I see Obi has found the best spot on the couch,” Henry joked.
Damian appeared behind him with Sebastian.
“You’re not wrong.” Sebastian grinned.
Damian just watched her silently as she stared right back at him. He wanted to say something, anything, but couldn’t manage a sound. He needed to talk to her, but how?
Obi, on the other hand, stared up at the three men and practically dared them to move him. Henry plopped down next to them and propped the dog on his knee. “You lucky bastard.”
Layla laughed and hit him on the shoulder. She watched from above the rim of her glass as Damian sat across from them. She could tell he wanted to say something, but she didn’t want to hear it. She wasn’t ready for that yet.
She stood up and went to the kitchen where Cristina was busy getting dessert ready. She smiled at her friend. “You think I can step outside for a second? I feel kind of warm.”
“Sure, the back door is open. I think William turned the lights on back there.”
Layla smiled and rushed out to the back porch. Sure enough, William had lit the back wooden deck and small lanterns lined the backyard. Layla always liked it back here. It was really peaceful. Cristina had set it up so that she could write outside and Layla could understand why. In the spring rose bushes and a giant peach tree decorated the yard. It was truly beautiful. Layla breathed in the fresh air and tried to control her nerves. She was standing out there for a few minutes when the door suddenly opened. When she turned around, Damian stood beneath the porch light.
Layla took a step back, and quickly realized she needed to get out of there. She tried scurrying around him, but he grabbed her arm.
“Why are you avoiding me?” he asked her.
She stopped and looked up at him, she could almost make out the hint of hurt in his eyes.
“I’m not avoiding you. I’m just cold,” Layla lied. She was trying to get away from him, as far away as possible. She could feel the heat of his hand through the thin layer of fabric on her sleeve and his pull was magnetic.
“We need to talk.”
She shook her head. “No. There’s nothing to talk about.”
He gripped her a little tighter and stepped closer to her. She could smell the scent of scotch on his breath when he spoke. “We have a lot to talk about.”
Damian’s nearness was overwhelming and she felt her willpower start to fade. “What’s there to say, Damian? If you didn’t say it to me back then, why say anything now?”
“Because I was a coward,” he said with a hint of desperation.
She smirked. “I’m glad you realized that.”
He let her take a step away from him, and she quickly headed for the door. Before she opened it his deep voice resounded through the empty space.
“I may have admitted to being a coward Layla, but I don’t give up easily. This isn’t over.”
She stood very still and briefly closed her eyes. Without saying another word, she stepped back into the warmth of the empty kitchen. She quickly gathered herself and walked down the hallway, away from Damian and towards her friends who were in the living room.
She made her way to Alyssa who placed a hand on her cheek. “Are you all right? You look a little flushed.”
Layla smiled reassuringly. “I’m fine. The wine must be having its effects on me.”
She sensed as Damian entered the room and watched as he joined them. A cheerful smile played on his lips, showing no sign that he had been affected by their interaction. She grabbed a glass of wine and gulped it down.
“Take it easy there, lush,” Henry teased.
Layla narrowed her eyes on him, and purposefully downed the rest of the wine.
~ About the Author ~
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D.C. Triana is a new romance author and novelist. She was born in raised in New York and is currently residing in Florida. Last March, Her dream of publishing a romance novel came true with, Sunset Reads: William & Cristina. The novel is currently holding a 4.5 star rating on Amazon as well as GoodReads. She is excited to announce her second novel in the series, Sunset Reads: Damian & Layla, releasing on December 26, 2016.
When she is not delving into her hopeless romantic thoughts, she is expanding her experiences and travelling around the world. She also will not miss an episode of the Walking Dead, has an obsession with Superman, and has watched Pride and Prejudice at least ten times. An avid fan of all types of music and dancing; she enjoys cuddling up with her puppy Obi, and helping new authors like herself. You can visit her at http://www.dctriana/com, or be part of her newsletter where you can take part in giveaways, receive updates on upcoming storylines, and get reviews on hot new titles. Sign up for her Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bXH-P9
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Website ~ Newsletter ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ TUMBLR ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads
~ Giveaway ~
Win a $15 Amazon gift card!
March 23, 2017
Take a #firstlook & read an #excerpt of BLOOD VOWED from @Traci_Douglass Make sure to enter the #giveaway
BLOOD VOWED (Blood Ravagers) by Traci Douglass
BLOOD VOWED by Traci Douglass is a dark and sexy ride with an otherworld ex-assassin on a mission to atone for the sins of his past, and the woman who holds both his only means of escape and the keys to his ultimate salvation. This exciting installment in the Blood Ravagers series is perfect for fans of BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD by J.R. Ward and IMMORTALS AFTER DARK by Kresley Cole.
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Praise for the Blood Ravagers:
“Fifty Shades of Grey” meets “Sons of Anarchy” in Traci Douglass’s “Blood Bound.” The first book in the Blood Ravagers series, “Blood Bound” brings us to a world where humans and Otherworlders live side by side but with an uneasy truce. An exciting read from beginning to end. It’s steamy and sexy while also hair-raising and fearsome at the same time.” – MARI D., NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5 STARS
“Yes, yes, and more yes. I’m in love with this series. Give me more!” – ERIN M., NETGALLEY REVIEWER, 5 STARS
About BLOOD VOWED:
Title: Blood Vowed
Author: Traci Douglass
Series: Blood Ravagers
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: April 13, 2017
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Synopsis:
Reverend “Rev” Walker, expected some backlash after he foiled The Council’s attempts to overthrow the Blood Ravager Biker Gang. What he hadn’t expected was to wake up in the last place he ever wanted to see again—a dank cell of The Council’s Siberian dungeon. Drained and chained, he faces certain death if he can’t escape from the hellish prison. Now, his only means of escape depends on him accepting help from a fellow prisoner, a woman whose very existence is a lie and the only one capable of awakening Rev’s long-dormant heart. Claire Deveraux is Dygarian, a race of shadow-shifters who have been slandered and hunted to extinction by The Council. But Claire has used her years of enslavement well, reading her captors’ secret texts and hearing their whispered secrets. Now, after being locked up for a crime she didn’t commit, she plans to use her knowledge of the dungeon’s maze-like interior to gain her freedom, or die trying. Then a new prisoner arrives, a man Claire has dreamed of and knows in her heart is her destined mate, if only she can break through his walls. On the run and threatened from all sides, will Rev and Claire learn to trust each other and their growing feelings for one another before it’s too late?
Find out more at: Tule Publishing | Amazon| Kobo | B&N| Goodreads
Excerpt from Blood Vowed:
Gods fangs, have I ever been in so much pain?
Slowly, agonizingly, Rev forced one swollen eye open. Nothing but darkness surrounded him, crowded tight with the dank stench of rotting flesh, unwashed bodies, and mildew. Invisible legs skittered along the skin of his temple and he tried to raise his hand to brush whatever it was away, only to find his wrists shackled with heavy iron cuffs.
Tried his legs and found the same.
Never in his eons-long life had he ever been in such agony.
Images flashed through his beleaguered brain. Endless torment. The satisfied grin of Elon, his Council tormentor, the man’s bloodstained teeth. The scrape of nails, digging deep. A bark of laughter followed by the terrible scents of brimstone and sweat and fear. One brutal emotion after another bombarded him—disgust, rage, utter violation. Desperate to avoid a breakdown, he’d built a brick wall around his screaming heart and soul.
The three members of the Council—Auric, Elon, and Jareth—had beaten him for hours, relentless, brutal, stopping only long enough to allow Rev to heal enough to start all over again. Most every bone in his immortal body felt broken, bruised, or otherwise battered.
The Council was thorough in their punishment.
And he’d evaded them for far too long.
There was no doubt in his mind that they had rejoiced at his capture, relished bringing him back here, locking him away in what would surely become his final grave. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to regret what he’d done. Dex and Liz had proven themselves worthy, brave, true.
Before this was over, Rev hoped to prove those things about himself as well.
To pay back the three bastards of the Council for all the evil they’d wrought on the otherworld and perhaps earn his eternal rest at last.
Rest…
With a sigh, he leaned his head back against the rough stone. They’d taken his hat, his clothes, everything he owned, except for the filthy loin cloth slung around his hips. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fed, bathed, seen the sun or the moon.
Time had lost all meaning in here.
As his eyes slid closed once more, he prayed for a few hours of rest before they came for him again and the torture started anew.
“Hello?” a voice whispered through the shadows, so quiet it sent a shiver down his spine.
Rev opened his one good eye, glanced around, but spotted nothing.
He was alone. Probably a hallucination.
“Hello? Are you still alive in there?”
His head snapped up. He searched through the shadows again. “Who’s there?”
“So you are alive.” The voice sounded hesitant and decidedly…female.
“Unfortunately, yes.” He strained against his bonds, to no avail. “Who are you?”
She laughed, his mystery woman. “The one who will help you escape.”
The blood in Rev’s veins ignited, as if touched by a lit match. His heartbeat thumped loud in his ears, faster, faster, the need to break his restraints, stalk to the bars of his cell and rip them all to shreds, overwhelming him. He needed to see her, would die if he couldn’t.
An extreme reaction, yes, especially for him.
As was his weird, nearly excruciating awareness for another being. The uniqueness made it no less uncontrollable or unstoppable. From the first word, his entire universe had centered on this woman. The huskiness of her tone, the promise of absolute pleasure, the come-hither invitation that made his body grow hard…
Other Books in the Blood Ravagers Series
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Blood Bound
Anna Frost had a bad feeling when her twin sister, Liz, told her she’d run off with a member of the notorious Otherworld biker gang, the Blood Ravagers. And her unease skyrockets when her sister subsequently vanishes. The police have no authority and little interest, so Anna decides to take matters into her own hands by infiltrating the group to discover for herself what happened to Liz, where she meets….
Dante, half demon, half human. A mix of two worlds, accepted by neither, he’s had no choice but to learn the hard way how to play whatever side of the fence kept him alive during his nearly 500 years of existence. Now, as second-in-command of the Blood Ravagers biker gang, his survival depends on keeping his humanity a secret. Dante’s ultimate goal is to fulfill the vows he made over two centuries ago to create a world where half-breeds can live in safety and equality.
But when sheltered schoolteacher Anna finds unexpected, white-hot passion in the arms of Dante, will her quest for the truth cost him more than he ever bargained for? Or will they find a way to save Liz – and their love – together?
Book 1 is available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
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Blood Freed
Elizabeth “Liz” Frost has always been the wild one. But now, with a niece or nephew on the way and her promise to become half of the new psychic Oracle team for the Blood Ravagers Biker Gang, she’s ready to turn over a new leaf. And what better way to start than by answering the call when gang leader Dante needs help? Her mission: to travel cross-country to get the information the gang needs to complete the Oracle Binding Ceremony. Should be easy, right? Except for the incredibly tempting lone-wolf shifter named Dex who’ll be her riding partner and protector on the journey.
Dexter “Dex” MacCallahan is tasked with guarding Liz Frost, one of the gang’s beautiful and bewildering new psychics. Dex can’t refuse the mission, but there’s one small problem. The time of his Rut is approaching, a rare occurrence where male wolf-shifters must physically bond with their chosen mate or face certain insanity and death. It could cost him not only the new life he’s built, but also his battered, scarred heart.
Together, Dex and Liz must search for the information they need before his old nemesis and a rival gang annihilates all they hold dear. But when the simmering chemistry between them boils over into searing hot passion, will they risk losing their hearts to save the ones they love?
Book 2 is available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
GIVEAWAY
$25 Amazon GC to one lucky winner.
About Traci Douglass:
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Traci is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. Her stories feature sizzling heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes and heroines who are smart, tenacious, and always give as good as they get. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and she loves animals, chocolate, coffee, hot British actors, and sarcasm—not necessarily in that order.
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Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google Plus | Book Bub
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Blurb Blitz ~ Never Go Alone ~ #thriller from @denisonhatch @GoddessFish
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Never Go Alone
by Denison Hatch
GENRE: Thriller
BLURB
THE FIRST RULE IS: NEVER GO ALONE.
“Never Go Alone is an explosive return for both Denison Hatch and his hero.” – BestThrillers.com
A rash of elaborate cat burglaries of luxury buildings in Manhattan has the city panicked.
When a group of social media obsessed millennials–a loosely organized crew that call themselves “urban explorers”–are suspected in the heists, undercover NYPD detective Jake Rivett is assigned the case.
Rivett dives deep into the urban exploration scene in pursuit of the truth. But what, and who, he finds–deep in the sewers, up in the cranes above under-construction skyscrapers, and everywhere else in New York–will change not only Jake, but the city itself.
Grab a copy now!
Purchase Never Go Alone ~ Purchase Flash Crash
EXCERPT
Jake paced along the familiar corridors of One Police Plaza. He padded across the detective bullpen and past his old office. A clean-shaven man, about his own age, stared back blankly at Jake. Rivett didn’t even recognize the guy who now occupied his former workspace. That wasn’t the nature of most police departments, but it certainly was in New York. The volume of crime was astronomical and the volume of new detective recruits equally high. In fact, many beat cops spent their entire careers trying to become detectives, only to burn out or transfer out within a handful of years. Jake had once been a boy in blue as well. He’d spent the minimum time required—two years—out in a patrol car. He’d gotten his gold shield ten months after that; primarily due to the sources he’d managed to scrounge up while on patrol in Chinatown. While Jake’s ability to measure people was strong, his ability to split them open was legendary. As was his chutzpah. He was like a pit bull when it came to everything, cases not excluded. That was why, during his first few years as a detective, not a single one of his cases went unsolved. But his discipline was another thing altogether. The department was half squares and half circles, but he was four-dimensional. It was a simple as that.
About the Author
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Denison is a screenwriter and novelist. He has a number of feature and television projects in development, including his original screenplay, Vanish Man, which is set up at Lionsgate. A graduate of Cornell University, he lives with his wife and a big dog in a little house in Hollywood. He is presently working on the third Jake Rivett thriller.
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GIVEAWAY
Denison Hatch will be awarding a physical copy of the Jake Rivett Series, Flash Crash and Never Go Alone, (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
March 22, 2017
Sayings everyone (yes, me too) gets wrong #WriterWednesday #AmWriting
We all make mistakes. I probably make more than the average human, but that’s just because I’m a risk taker. Or at least that’s the lie I tell myself. There are certain sayings that us mere mortals get wrong again and again. Here are my favorites:
Epitome vs. Epitomy – Epitomy isn’t actually a word despite how often I try to write it. Luckily, I always doubt the spelling and google reminds me I’m an idiot because Epitomy is not a word.
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Blind-sided vs. blind sighted – I admit that I have no idea where the confusion with sighted comes from and, therefore, have no idea how to write a snarky comment about it.
I couldn’t care less vs. I could care less – If you say you could care less, you actually do care somewhat. If you don’t give a gosh darn, then you should say “I couldn’t care less”.
Regardless vs. Irregardless – Regardless means without regard. Throwing on “IR” on the beginning makes the word a double negative, which makes no sense since you end up with “without without regard”. Unfortunately, irregardless seems to flow off the tongue easier. Must. Stop. That.
Tongue in cheek vs tongue and cheek – Tongue in cheek means to be sarcastic or insincere. The idea arises from suppressed mirth like when you bite your tongue so as to not laugh out loud. Not sure what a tongue and cheek are supposed to symbolize.
Wreak havoc vs. wreck havoc – Let me tell you I’m not wrecking any havoc as that indicates I’m actually destroying that havoc. Oh no, not I. If you’re talking about wreaking havoc, you’re usually referring to someone creating havoc. In that case, wreak is correct.
One and the same vs. one in the same – ‘One in the same’ doesn’t really mean anything, does it? ‘One and the same’ means that the two things are the same, which is probably what you’re trying to convey.
Nip it in the bud vs nip it in the butt – A bud is just beginning so yeah nip that thing before it grows. Nipping it in the butt, on the other hand, just indicates you’re just dirty minded or something.
For all intents and purposes vs For all intensive purposes – No matter how strongly you feel about the subject, the phrase ‘for all intensive purposes’ is still wrong. ‘For all intents and purposes’ on the other hand means that you’re covering all the possibilities and isn’t that what you meant anyway?
I could go on and on, but the above are some of my favorites. What about you? Comment below with your favorite. (FYI: spellcheck caught most of the mistakes above. It’s a pain in the a$$, but spellcheck does help. Sometimes.)
March 21, 2017
Read an excerpt of A Human Element #paranormalsuspense from @DonnaGalanti #giveaway @GoddessFish
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A Human Element
by Donna Galanti
GENRE: Paranormal Suspense
BLURB:
Evil comes in many forms…
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.
Grab a copy!
EXCERPT
“I am not here to hurt you,” the man said when Ben shrunk into the rock. “I’m going to cut the ropes.”
In a few swift movements he slit the ropes binding Ben, who staggered back. The man caught him and held him up, then ripped off the duct tape.
“Who are you?” Ben’s body trembled from the rush of fear and a fierce headache pounded in his temple.
The man didn’t answer. He bent over one of the dead Samoans and pulled out a wallet. He looked inside and threw it at Ben. “It’s yours.” Then the man led him by the arm down the overgrown road where he handed Ben his clothes from the brush.
“Come on,” the man said. Ben looked back at the dead men sprawled face down. They oozed like two fat walruses sunning themselves in the moonlight. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll dump them later, somewhere they’ll never be found.”
In a daze, Ben followed his savior up the rough road, stumbling behind him in the dim moonlight.
“I’ll take you back to base and you’re on your own,” the man said once they reached his car, parked off the main road. “Don’t speak of this to anyone. Understand?”
Ben nodded and climbed in the car. He looked over at the stranger in black who had saved him. His mammoth biceps flexed as he drove, hunched over the wheel. Ben stared at him, and then a memory flickered. “Why are you following me? Why save me?”
“I’m an interested party. Leave it at that.”
“I can’t. I would have died up there for sure.”
The man didn’t respond.
“Thank you.”
The man looked at Ben. His green eyes glowed in the moonlight that filtered into the car.
“Someday you might not thank me. Someday you might not survive.”
About the Author
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Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books -http://www.imajinbooks.com/ ) and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books -http://www.month9books.com/ ). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill (http://www.thebigthrill.org/) – magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem (http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/search/label/Donna Galanti) . She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools.
Visit her at http://www.elementtrilogy.com and http://www.donnagalanti.com.
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Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram
Giveaway
Donna will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
March 20, 2017
The truth about blogging no one tells you #MondayBlogs #Blogging #AmWriting
Have a blog, they said. It will be fun, they said. Liars. Liars. Multiple pants on fire. Turns out that everyone really does have an opinion about everything. Many of those opinions will be misleading. Misleading is a politically correct word for lie. Yes, lie.
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Lie Number 1. If you write it, they will read it. I don’t care how funny, how moving, how well-written your blog post is, if you don’t have some kind of following whether it be social media, blog followers or devoted book readers, no one is going to read it, because they won’t be able to find it.
Lie Number 2. Blogging is easy. What exactly is supposed to be easy about blogging? Because none of it’s easy. From the setting up of the blog itself to writing blog posts to finding followers, easy is not the word to describe the work involved.
Lie Number 3. It will make you a better writer. Okay, I’m not saying that blogging will make you a worse writer, but what’s the goal here? Blog writing and novel writing are two completely different things. It has, in fact, taken me nearly a year to figure out how to write blogs. Don’t believe me? Check out this blog where I explain the torture that is finding your blogging voice.
Lie Number 4. It helps you build an audience. Um, no. The blog itself doesn’t help build the audience. All the work around the blog – networking, finding similar blogs, building that author platform – that helps you build an audience.
Lie Number 5. It makes you stand out. This one makes me wonder what the person was smoking. Because everyone has a blog nowadays. How does adding your blog to the sea of blogs out there make you stand out? Please, someone, explain this to me because I’m obviously doing everything wrong.
Lie Number 6. You’ll make some money. Seriously? Well, I guess ‘they’ never defined how much money. Sure, you can make some cash with your blog, but to make serious money, you need to put in serious time. You’ll also need to balance the appearance of ads with how it effects the look and feel of your blog. I’ve personally chosen not to have any ads on my blog (except for those WordPress ones I can’t avoid), because I think a lot of blogs get carried away with advertisements.
Lie Number 7. You’ll become more comfortable with being known. Oh wait, that’s actually true. Scratch that.
Lie Number 87. It makes you happy. I’m not even touching that lie with a ten-foot pole. No. Just no.
Yeah, so this is just a funny post that I dictated while walking the dog the other morning. And man, do you get funny looks if you dictate to your phone in a foreign language while in the park. Anyway, this post is also meant as a cautionary tale. Blogging is harder than it looks. Know the ‘facts’ before you get started or you’ll end up like those other so-called bloggers who haven’t updated their blog in years.
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March 17, 2017
Nasty comments and what to do about them #Blogging #Cyberbully #AmReading
It’s Friday, which means it’s time for a fun post. Unfortunately, not everything in life is fun and, in fact, a whole bunch of stuff is decidedly not fun. So, I thought I’d take this day to talk about something unfun with which I could use some help. I can totally admit I don’t know everything and do need help sometimes. Not that I always listen but, anyway, let’s get to the heart of the matter.
In addition to this blog, I have another blog (Readsalot) which has the sole purpose of promoting other (indie) writers. I try to promote books and writers who I believe my readers will enjoy. Of course, I also look for authors who I think have it going on – covers that look professional, well-written and typo-free synopses, etc. But now I’ve run into a problem I don’t know how to handle.
I share my blog postings on my Facebook Readsalot page as well (because I’m awesome like that). On a Facebook post promoting a book, someone commented: “Shit book. Not even worth the cup of coffee it sits under.” Um… what?
I wasn’t sure what to do and as it was 6 o’clock in the morning and the comment had been there all night, I was a bit panicked that I needed to do something – right now. But what? Luckily, my husband lives in a time zone that’s two hours ahead of mine (and he often has early flights so I can totally bug him at 4 a.m. if I want). My husband asked whether the comment was constructive. Nope, not at all. His answer was unequivocal. Then delete it. So, that’s what I did. I also sent a private message to the person to let him know I deleted his comment as it wasn’t constructive and explaining that the page is meant to promote others. I told him he’s welcome to comment, but comments need to be constructive.
Apparently, I’m now a liberal beaner (whatever that means) because I don’t want any nasty stuff on my Facebook page. As I promised not to get political on my blog, I’ll leave that comment right there.
I’m convinced I did the right thing. I have no problem with debating issues, books, movies, archaic tennis rules, you name it. There are those who would argue that I in fact get off on debating. But throwing out nasty comments benefits no one. Have we learned nothing from the recent elections? Oops! There I go getting political again. I think the above comment fits into the category of nasty remarks that people feel free to post online but would never say to someone in person. And that’s what it’s all about for me. If you wouldn’t say the words out loud to the person at whom they are aimed, then you shouldn’t post the remark online. End of.
What do other bloggers think? Should I allow these types of non-helpful comments?
