D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 76
May 30, 2016
Release Day Celebration ~ City of Spies by @Ninaberry #thriller #giveaway
Pagan Jones is back today with the release of CITY OF SPIES by Nina Berry! Join us in celebrating by sharing this post and entering the giveaway!
About The Book
Pagan Jones is back!
Celebrating her escape from East Germany and the success of her new film, teen starlet Pagan Jones returns to Hollywood to reclaim her place among the rich and the famous. She’s thrilled to be back, but memories of her time in Berlin—and elusively handsome secret agent Devin Black—continue to haunt her daydreams. The whirlwind of parties and celebrities just isn’t enough to distract Pagan from the excitement of being a spy or dampen her curiosity about her late mother’s mysterious past.
When Devin reappears with an opportunity for Pagan to get back into the spy game, she is eager to embrace the role once again—all she has to do is identify a potential Nazi war criminal. A man who has ties to her mother. Taking the mission means that she’ll have to star in a cheesy film and dance the tango with an incredibly awful costar, but Pagan knows all the real action will happen off-set, in the streets of Buenos Aires.
But as Pagan learns more about the man they’re investigating, she realizes that the stakes are much higher than they could have ever imagined, and that some secrets are best left undiscovered.
Pick up CITY OF SPIES NOW!
AMAZON | B&N
Also available, May 31, 2016, THE NOTORIOUS PAGAN JONES in paperback!
About The Author
Writer, crypt-explorer, bodysufer, Nina Berry is the author of THE NOTORIOUS PAGAN JONES and the OTHERKIN series. Born in Honolulu, she now writes books for teens from her secret lair in Hollywood.
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instragram ~ Tumber ~ Pinterest
Giveaway
3 winners will each will win a signed paperback of NOTORIOUS PAGAN JONES + signed hardback of CITY OF SPIES + bookmarks!!
Must be 13+ To Enter | Ships in US only
May 29, 2016
Stare Him Down by @Riley__Murphy #eroticromance #giveaway
TOP
Title: Stare Him Down
Author: Riley Murphy
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
~ Synopsis ~
This Dom’s life is turned upside down when he agrees to enter into a modern-day marriage of convenience with a woman who’s sassy and vanilla. Only problem? She’s not vanilla. And the side of sassy she comes with is sure to get them both into trouble when he finds out.
~ Excerpt ~
“Before I go anywhere I thought we’d play a game.”
“Aren’t you tired?” He didn’t look up. He just stared with unseeing eyes at one of the numerous envelopes in his hand.
“No. I’d call this game Truth or Dare, but all I have is the magic lasso so we’ll call this a game of honesty to the bone. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
Triple goddamn fuck. Only his eyes moved as he looked at her across the table. “A game? Why?”
“It will be fun.” He knew for sure it wouldn’t. “I lasso you first.” She made a big show of tying a loop, and when she looked as if she might actually try to throw it over him, he reached forward and grabbed the coiled end out of her hands.
“I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”
She gave him one of her infamous Da Vinci muse’s smiles, and said, “You have to play by the rules.”
Yes, and if the nasty devil on his shoulder stayed out of this, he would. He ran his finger over the cord that was surprisingly soft, and inclined his head. “I’m listening.”
“You have to answer the question I ask you with total, and I mean absolute truth, so help you God.”
He tried not to grin, but she was so serious he couldn’t help teasing her. “Okay, should we pinkie swear on it?”
She tugged on the end of the cord she held, forcing him to keep a firmer grip. “Listen, if you don’t answer truthfully then there’s no point to any of this.”
Interesting. Did she even realize she’d just admitted she had an agenda so this wasn’t a game per se? “Agreed. The same goes for you when I get my turn, right?”
“Sure.” This quick reply told him she wasn’t thinking about the end game, only the beginning. “I’m ready, are you?” He barely had the chance to nod when she blurted out, “Did you have thoughts today about having sex with me?”
Alrighty. To his mind there were a couple of things here that he needed to pay attention to. Some more obvious than others. First, her conviction. It was clear to him that she’d been planning to hijack him like this for quite some time. Second, she’d be a lousy bridge player because she didn’t have a strategic plan in mind. And third, just like the night in his hotel room a few years ago, she had not one drop of patience. Even now, she seemed barely able to contain herself, waiting for his answer.
And what did that mean?
He had to make his answer count. Better than that. It had to be epic. All-encompassing. Screw it. His answer was going to blow her mind.
~ About the Author ~
Riley Murphy writes sexy, humorous, and emotional romance, happy ending guaranteed. An optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are complicated, but in a good way, and we should never stop learning. Riley currently calls Florida home with her gorgeous husband. She has two phenomenal kids, one adorable-to-the-max grandchild, and a very bossy pooch.
When Riley’s not working she enjoys reading, oil painting, and getting to the Sunday crossword before anyone else does, so she can fill-in all the easy answers first, and pull the smart card with the family.
Things Riley loves:
Writing books
Connecting with readers
Doing giveaways for her readers
Things Riley Hates:
Laundry. Seriously. She’d rather slam her fingers in a car door than do the dreaded bleach load.
A few of Riley’s favorite reviewer quotes:
If you love intellectual mind candy, read Ms. Murphy’s work!
Creative, profound and soul searing scenes abound…
One wonders if Ms. Riley is in the sex therapy and marriage counseling business as a day job. The D/s part of this story is Fabulous.
If Riley wasn’t an author she’d be an international spy with top-level security so she could have a peek at Area 51 and decide for herself if those green guys are for real. Failing that, she’d likely go with chicken sexer.
You can visit Riley website at:
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads
~ Giveaway ~
May 27, 2016
Book Blast ~ Mirror Image by @MichelePW #thriller #giveaway
Title: Mirror Image
Author: Michele Pariza Wacek
Published: May 27th, 2016
Publisher: Love-Based Publishing
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
~ Synopsis~
Which would be worse: knowing that your dead sister has come back to life and is now a serial killer, or that someone else is the killer… and that person is you?
Six months after Linda’s sister Elizabeth killed herself, Linda has finally gotten her life back to some semblance of normalcy. Until a killer appears who is stalking men … a killer who resembles Elizabeth … a killer who seems somehow familiar to Linda.
And to make matters worse, Detective Steve Anderson, her old high school crush, is assigned to the case. He’s asking Linda all sorts of questions – questions she couldn’t possibly have an answer to.
There’s no reason for him to be investigating Linda. She couldn’t possibly have anything to do with this.
Could she?
Amazon | GoodReads
~ About the Author~
When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly.
As you can imagine, writing has been a driving passion throughout her life. She became a professional copywriter (which is writing promotional materials for businesses), which led to her founding a copywriting and marketing company that serves clients all over the world.
Along with being a copywriter, she also writes novels (she’s published two psychological thrillers/mystery/suspense novels “The Stolen Twin” and “Mirror Image” so far) plus, she is also the author of the “Love-Based Copy” books, which are a part of the “Love-Based Business” series and cover both business and personal development.
She holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and her border collie Nick and southern squirrel hunter Cassie and is hard at work on her next novel.
Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads
~ Giveaway Details~
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
Signed print copy of The Stolen Twin (US Only)
$10 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends May 31st at 11:59 PM EDT
The Descendant Prophecies @MaryTing #giveaway
From Titans (Book #4) by Mary Ting
Everyone is searching for Mason.
Zeus sent Hermes, and the Oracles have used their magic, with no success. A sparkle of hope arises when Eris, the goddess of Chaos, sends an invitation to her wedding engagement party. She’s holding Mason hostage, and Skylar and her friends only need permission to enter Eris’s world to rescue him.
At the party, Eris gives them one condition: In exchange for Mason, they must travel to the Land of Reverse and bring back the bottle of gold water King Midas used to wash himself free of his gift. Further chaos follows when Eris not only sets up a hunt in the Labyrinth of Crete, but makes a bargain with the Titans she rescued.
The Titans possess power more than anyone anticipated, and Cronus is hungry for revenge after his own children locked him up in Tartarus. No one is safe. Not even the humans.
Summary for Book 1:
Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day?
Don’t blame Mother Nature.
Skylar Rome can’t wait to spend her last summer before college with her cousin, Kayla. Everything changes when they meet the Grand brothers. Skylar is sure she should stay away from Mason Grand, but their attraction is undeniable. Then Skylar’s life erupts into turmoil. She steps into a world where descendants of ancient gods have super powers, evil beings chase her, and questions arise about her own identity. She is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her.
Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?
Praise for the Series
“From Gods takes mythology to a whole new level of imagination with its incredible plot and amazing characters. It’s full of hotness that you never want to end!” Michele, Insane About Books
“From Gods by the AMAZING AUTHOR Mary Ting is OMGods good!! If you even LIKE Greek Mythology, set aside some time because you will DEVOUR Mary Ting’s Demi Gods and Vultures!!!” Mindy, Books Complete Me
Grab a FREE copy of From Gods this weekend ONLY!
From Gods (Book #1) by Mary Ting
Did you just see a flash of lightning across the sky on a clear sunny day?
Don’t blame Mother Nature.
Skylar Rome can’t wait to spend her last summer before college with her cousin, Kayla. Everything changes when they meet the Grand brothers. Skylar is sure she should stay away from Mason Grand, but their attraction is undeniable. Then Skylar’s life erupts into turmoil. She steps into a world where descendants of ancient gods have super powers, evil beings chase her, and questions arise about her own identity. She is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her.
Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?
Excerpt
“Mason, MASON, MASON!” Skylar panicked.
“I know. Skylar, hold on tight. I’m going to brake.”
“But there are cars behind us.”
“We have no choice. Don’t worry. I got this.” Mason pushed down on the brake forcefully. The car hydroplaned to the right. “Hold on.”
Skylar gripped the first thing her hand found. The water from the road jetted up into the air like in a water show, but the car kept gliding sideways, until finally it spun in a full circle and stopped. With no time to waste, Mason turned it to the right and accelerated, hoping to dodge what was coming toward them.
Out of nowhere, a long piece of ice, taking the form of a spear, darted through the trucks’ tires and punctured some of them. More ice spears came soaring out of the rain, but this time ten or more sphere-like ice balls followed, denting the sides of the trucks. One went through a windshield. With flat tires, the trucks now glided as if skating on ice, maneuvering from side to side.
“Did you do that?” Skylar asked excitedly.
“No. Must be Poseidon’s kids. Where the hell are they?” Mason spread his right arm out in front of Skylar as if to protect her. “Bend down, Sky.”
One of the trucks hit another and veered off, hitting yet another one. The crash caused the trucks to flip and tumble, heading straight for Mason’s car. With a look of shock, Skylar held her breath. There was no time to move, think, or get out of the car, so she closed her eyes and prepared for the crash.
Seconds before impact, Mason’s car flew up into the air and over the trucks. Somehow, as if by magic, the water created a liquid bridge, guiding the car safely over, and then it thumped hard onto the ground on the other side. Without looking back, Mason sped away as the sound of screeching brakes and metal hitting metal blasted behind them.
Author Mary Ting
International Bestselling, Award-Winning, Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.
Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/13/16
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
May 25, 2016
Murder at Morningside by Sandra Bretting #cozymystery
Inside the Book:
Title: Murder at Morningside
Author: Sandra Bretting
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Genre: Mystery
Format: Ecopy
Hat designer Missy DuBois opened her shop, Crowning Glory, along Louisiana’s Great River Road to cater to the sophisticated Southern bride. But bless her heart, who knew creating stylish wedding veils would lead to murder?
Hired to craft a veil for a socialite getting married at Morningside Plantation means Missy can bask in the height of antebellum atmosphere. But when the bride is found dead in a women’s bathroom, Missy the milliner finds herself entangled in one unfashionable murder.
With the list of suspects thicker than the sweltering Louisiana heat, including a gaggle of bridesmaids shedding nary a tear and a family with no shortage of enemies, it seems anyone at the mansion may have done away with the bride-to-be. While Missy has Southern charm to spare, she’s going to need more than manners and a manicure to put a hat pin on this murderous affair . . .
Meet the Author
Sandra Bretting has served as a freelance feature writer for the Houston Chronicle since moving to Texas in 1996. She received a journalism degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and spent her early career in healthcare public relations at medical centers throughout Southern California. Other publications for which she’s written include the Los Angeles Times and Woman’s Day. Readers can visit her website at SandraBretting.com.
Tour Schedule
Tuesday, May 24 – Book featured at E-Romance News
Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge
Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping
Wednesday, May 25 – Guest blogging at Books for Books
Book featured at Lisa’s Louisiana Home
Thursday, May 26 – Book featured at Readsalot
Book featured at Fiction Zeal
Friday, May 27 – Book featured at Born to Read Books
________
Monday, May 30 – Book featured at CBY Book Club
Tuesday, May 31 – Guest blogging at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Wednesday, June 1 – Guest blogging at TNBTA: Independence Through Performance
Thursday, June 2 – Book featured at Around the World in Books
Friday, June 3 – Book featured at Voodoo Princess
________
Monday, June 6 – Book featured at I’m Shelf-ish
Tuesday, June 7 – Book featured at A Title Wave
Wednesday, June 8 – Book featured at Harmonious Publicity
Thursday, June 9 – Book featured at Authors and Readers Book Corner
Friday, June 10 – Interviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt
Book reviewed at Laura’s Interests
________
Monday, June 13 – Book reviewed at Live Love Books
Tuesday, June 14 – Guest blogging at Don’t Judge, Read
Wednesday, June 15 – Book reviewed at Book Babble
Book featured at Stormy Vixen’s Book Reviews
Thursday, June 16 – Book reviewed at DJ’s Book Corner
Book featured at Celticlady’s Reviews
Friday, June 17 – Book reviewed at Books are Love
Book reviewed at Storeybook Reviews
________
May 24, 2016
Interview with Falguni Kothari (@F2tweet) Author of My Last Love Story #romance
Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes’s, Me Before You, My Last Love Story is a heartbreakingly romantic tale about the complexities of trauma and whether love can right a wrong.
I, Simeen Desai, am tired of making lemonade with the lemons life has handed me.
Love is meant to heal wounds.
Love was meant to make my world sparkle and spin.
Love has ripped my life apart and shattered my soul.
I love my husband, and he loves me.
But Nirvaan is dying.
I love my husband. I want to make him happy.
But he is asking for the impossible.
I don’t want a baby.
I don’t want to make nice with Zayaan.
I don’t want another chance at another love story.
Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon US * Amazon IN
Interview
My Last Love Story is a ‘heartbreakingly romantic tale’. I find it difficult to write about depressing issues. How do you manage?
Let me start by pointing out that heartbreakingly romantic does not mean depressing. It means epic—like Romeo and Juliet, The Fault In Our Stars and Me Before You. There are sad moments in the book, but there are sad moments in life too. And, for me, a good romance has to break my heart or its not worth reading. I love to laugh through my tears.
However, I know what you mean and agree that topics such as trauma, death and disease are difficult to write. My Last Love Story was hard to create and I often wept while writing it. But my personal writing style is uplifting and humorous, so while I wrote about tragedy, I had the right amount of comedy going on to lighten the prose.
Describe My Last Love Story in 140 characters (also known as a tweet).
A fate-battered woman learns to brave life again at the insistence of her dying husband. She does so on Jet Skis, too.
If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?
Such a great question and so difficult to answer. I want to say Simeen because she’s going through so much—they all are—but I’ve been in her head for much too long. I’ll choose Zayaan. He’s a quiet one with his smexy good looks and that heart of pure gold. I want to feel super smart like him. I want to understand what being devout means. I want to know what he thinks and feels about Marjaneh Sharokhi. We don’t get to see that relationship because we’re in Simi’s head and Zayaan never spoke about Marjaneh to her. Zayaan would be an interesting man to exchange lives with—lots of secrets there.
What’s the most amusing thing that happened to you while writing My Last Love Story?
So, there’s a scene with a baby seal in the book. I always have an animal or two in my books as I’m a zookeeper at heart and when I stumbled on some YouTube videos of seals interacting with humans, I was bowled over. It’s the cutest thing to see. I discussed the scene with a friend for plausibility and we were both in splits as we ran down a whole list of scenarios of how I can squeeze maximum cuteness from the seal scene. I kept laughing while writing and editing it, and even now it’s one of my favorite passages to read.
Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
The Himalayas, which is where my next two books will be set. I believe the best times to go to Garhwal and/ or Tons Valley is in October.
What’s your favorite part about the writing process?
The writing. I enjoy stringing words together and molding scenes for maximum effect. I love creating unforgettable characters and giving them quirks. I find the process of writing very therapeutic.
Tell us about your next release. And when can we expect it?
I’m in contract with Om Books, India, for Books 2 and 3 of the Age of Kali, a myth-based fantasy series. Book 1 is titled Soul Warrior and is available everywhere except South Asia for the moment. I don’t know the schedules for books 2 and 3 yet, but I’m hoping Book 2 will come out by late 2017.
Read an Excerpt:
Dear Readers, thank you for coming along on the My Last Love Story Blog Tour. Here’s an excerpt to enjoy.
ONE
“Love is a dish best served naked.”
As a child, those oft-quoted words of my father would have me rolling my eyes and pretending to gag at what I’d imagined was my parents’ precursor to a certain physical act.
At thirty, I’d long ago realized that getting naked wasn’t a euphemism for sex.
Neither was love.
It wasn’t my father wording the meme just now but my husband. Nirvaan considered himself a great wit, a New Age philosopher. On the best of days, he was, much like Daddy had been. On the worst days, he was my tormentor.
“What do you think, Dr. Archer? Interesting enough tagline for a vlog? What about ‘Baby in a Petri Dish’?” Nirvaan persisted in eliciting a response from the doctor and/or me for his ad hoc comedy, which we’d been ignoring for several minutes now.
I wanted to glare at him, beg him to shut up, or demand that he wait in the doctor’s office like he should’ve done, like a normal husband would have. Khodai knows why he’d insisted on holding my hand through this preliminary checkup. Nothing of import would happen today—if it did at all. But I couldn’t perform any such communication, not with my eyes and mouth squeezed shut while I suffered through a series of uncomfortable twinges along my nether regions.
I lay flat on my back on a spongy clinic bed sheeted with paper already wrinkled and half torn. Legs drawn up and spread apart, my heels dug punishingly into cold iron stirrups to allow my gynecologist’s clever fingers to reach inside my womb and check if everything was A-OK in there. We’d already funneled through the Pap test and stomach and chest checks. Like them, this test, too, was going swell in light of Dr. Archer’s approving happy hums.
“Excellent, Mrs. Desai. All parts are where they should be,” he joked only as a doctor could.
I shuddered out the breath I’d been holding, as the feeling of being stretched left my body. Nirvaan squeezed my hand and planted a smacking kiss on my forehead. I opened my eyes and focused on his beaming upside-down ones. His eyelids barely grew lashes anymore—I’d counted twenty-seven in total just last week—the effect of years of chemotherapy. For a second, my gaze blurred, my heart wavered, and I almost cried.
What are we doing, Nirvaan? What in Khodai’s name were we starting?
Nirvaan stroked my hair, his pitch-black pupils steady and knowing and oh-so stubborn. Then, his face rose to the stark white ceiling, and all I saw was the green-and-blue mesh of his gingham shirt—the overlapping threads, the crisscross weaves, a pattern without end.
Life is what you make it, child. It was another one of my father’s truisms.
Swallowing the questions twirling on my tongue, I refocused my mind on why we were here. I’d promised Nirvaan we’d try for a baby if he agreed to another round of cancer-blasting treatments. I’d bartered for a few more months of my husband’s life. He’d bartered for immortality through our child.
Dr. Archer rolled away from between my legs to the computer station. He snapped off and disposed of the latex gloves. Then, he began typing notes in near-soundless staccato clicks. Though the examination was finished, I knew better than to sit up until he gave me leave. I’d been here before, done this before—two years ago when Nirvaan had been in remission and the idea of having a baby had wormed its way into his head. We’d tried the most basic procedures then, whatever our medical coverage had allowed. We hadn’t been desperate yet to use our own money, which we shouldn’t be touching even now. We needed every penny we had for emergencies and alternative treatments, but try budging my husband once he’d made up his mind.
“I’m a businessman, Simi. I only pour money into a sure thing,” he rebuked when I argued.
I brought my legs together, manufacturing what poise and modesty I could, and pulled the sea-green hospital gown bunched beneath my bottom across my half-naked body. I refused to look at my husband as I wriggled about, positive his expression would be pregnant with irony, if not fully smirking. And kudos to him for not jumping in to help me like I would have.
The tables had turned on us today. For the past five years, it’d been Nirvaan thrashing about on hospital beds, trying in vain to find relief and comfort, modesty or release. Nirvaan had been poked, prodded, sliced, and bled as he battled aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I’d been the stoic spectator, the supportive wife, the incompetent nurse, the ineffectual lover.
And now? What role would I play now?
As always, thinking about our life left me feeling even more naked than I was in the open-fronted robe. I turned my face to the wall, my eyes stinging, as fear and frustration bubbled to the surface. Flesh-toned posters of laughing babies, pregnant mothers, and love-struck fathers hung from the bluish walls. Side by side were the more educative ones of human anatomy, vivisected and whole. The test-tube-like exam room of Monterey Bay Fertility Clinic was decorated in true California beach colors—sea-foam walls, sandy floors, pearl-pink curtains, and furniture—bringing the outdoors in. If the decor was meant to be homey, it wasn’t having such an effect on me. This room, like this town and even this country, was not my natural habitat, and I felt out of my element in it.
I’d lived in California for seven years now, ever since my marriage, and I still didn’t think of it as home, not like Nirvaan did. Home for me was India. And no matter the dark memories it held, home would always be Surat.
“All done.” Dr. Archer pushed the computer trolley away and stood up. “You can get dressed, Mrs. Desai. Take your time. Use whatever supplies you need. We’ll wait for you in my office,” he said, smiling.
Finally, I can cover myself, I thought. Gooseflesh had erupted across my skin due to the near frigid clinic temperatures doctors tortured their patients with—like a patient didn’t have enough to suffer already. Medical facilities maintained cool indoor temperatures to deter inveterate germs from contaminating the premises and so its vast flotilla of equipment didn’t fry. I knew that. But knowing it still didn’t inspire any warm feelings in me for the “throng of professional sadists with a god complex.” I quoted my husband there.
Nirvaan captured my attention with a pat on my head. “See you soon, baby,” he said, following the doctor out of the room.
I scooted off the bed as soon as the door shut behind them. My hair tumbled down my face and shoulders at my jerky movements. I smoothed it back with shaking hands. Long, wavy, and a deep chestnut shade, my hair was my crowning glory, my one and only feature that was lush and arresting. Nirvaan loved my hair. I wasn’t to cut it or even braid it in his presence, and so it often got hopelessly knotted.
I shrugged off the clinic gown, balled it up, and placed it on the bed. I wiped myself again and again with antiseptic wipes, baby wipes, and paper towels until the tissues came away stain-free. I didn’t feel light-headed. I didn’t allow myself to freak. I concentrated on the flow of my breaths and the pounding of my heart until they both slowed to normal.
It was okay. I was not walking out with a gift-wrapped baby in tow. Not today. No reason to freak out.
I reached for my clothes and slipped on my underwear. They were beige with tiny white hearts on them—Victoria’s Secret lingerie Nirvaan had leered and whistled at this morning.
Such a silly man. Typical Nirvaan, I corrected, twisting my lips.
Even after dressing in red-wash jeans and a full-sleeved sweater, I shivered. My womb still felt invaded and odd. As I stepped into my red patent leather pumps, an unused Petri dish sitting on the workstation countertop caught my eye.
The trigger for Nirvaan’s impromptu comedy, perhaps?
Despite major misgivings about the Hitleresque direction my life had taken, humor got the better of me, and I grinned.
Silly, silly Nirvaan. Baby in a Petri dish, indeed.
About the Author:
Falguni Kothari is an internationally bestselling hybrid author and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a background in Indian Classical dance. She writes in a variety of genres sewn together by the colorful threads of her South Asian heritage and expat experiences. When not writing or dancing, she fools around on all manner of social media, and loves to connect with her readers. My Last Love Story is her fourth novel.
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Deadly Ties by @maggiethom2 #bookreview #thriller #excerpt #giveaway
Title: Deadly Ties
Author: Maggie Thom
Published: May 17, 2016
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
~ Synopsis ~
She went to jail for the right reason but the wrong murder…
With her mom in the hospital from a recent attack, Kyara has to wonder if her grandmother’s recent release from jail isn’t behind it. Pulled from her quiet, content life, Kyara finds herself on a mission, not only to find out who put her mom in a coma but who just might have a lifetime of secrets to hide.
Snooping into what’s going on, seems harmless until Kyara meets Ryan, and discovers who he really is. Unknowingly, they have stirred up a long forgotten past, one that some will go to any lengths to keep hidden.
Secrets spanning thirty years may never come to light unless they can solve the deadly secret, now buried beneath the golf course and stay ahead of those trying to kill them.
How many more people will die before the lies are unraveled and those who are guilty, decide that killing an entire town, isn’t too far to go to hide their dirty past?
Amazon ~ iTunes ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo
~ My Review~
Deadly Ties reminds me of one of the BBC detective shows – to which I’m unashamedly addicted. There are numerous characters and initially it’s very confusing as to who is who and where do they all fit in anyway? At the start, I certainly didn’t like any of those characters either. We first meet the grandmother and – by her own admission – she doesn’t seem like the nicest person. And then there’s Kyrara who just seems a bit weak and bitter, not to mention scatter-brained. The Jespersons were naturally awful, but then again, they were supposed to be. Between the confusion and dislike of the ‘good guys’ in the book, it took me some time to really dig into the story.
The story itself is quite good. It’s in-depth and there are lots of different tangents – murder, industrial espionage, a cover-up of epic proportions – this book has got them all. Some of the ‘lies’ are obvious while others are not revealed until the very end. And there’s definitely suspense. Just who is going after whom? And how many of the characters are evil? You’ll have to read the novel to figure it out. I liked the addition of a bit of romance between Kyrara and Ryan as well. It allowed the reader to take a break from all the suspense and confusion.
The writing itself could use a bit of tweaking. There are quite a few grammatically errors as well as some repetitiveness. Unfortunately, these issues distracted from the story itself.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good whodunit with lots of action.
~ Excerpt ~
“God, that was close.”
“Too close Betty. What are we going to do?”
Betty looked at Cynthia for a moment before turning and walking over to the heavily draped window, lifting the corner to peak out. The sun was just spreading its light over the horizon. Even though she was technically free, she was still imprisoned indoors as there were still people she didn’t want to know she was back. The situation had gotten out of control. She hadn’t expected that Kyara would do something so stupid as to go and explore at night time. Sam had damn near killed her and Ryan. She hadn’t expected them to be there. Things hadn’t quite worked out how she’d planned.
“I don’t know.”
“Well that backfired. We got Ryan and Kyara involved. We had to know that turning thirty-year-old gravestones was going to bring out some pretty nasty ghosts. There are still those people who don’t want others to know what happened. The lies. The people who died. The people who will die, if something isn’t done. They don’t want people to remember, why Tumor town originally was called Joje.”
“I know. I thought I had things under control. Obviously, I don’t. I need to talk to…” Getty looked at her friend, who was more her sister than anyone.
“You’re not going to tell me who your contact is. Really? After all we’ve been through together.”
“I just can’t. I have never kept anything from you ever before, so please know there is a good reason. It would shock you. So let it go for now okay?”
“I hope it’s not someone, who’s going to make you pay in some ungodly way.”
Betty smiled at her friend as she walked over and pulled her into a big hug. “I missed you.” She hadn’t allowed herself to cry in eighteen years but the lump in her throat let her know that she was closer than she wanted to be.
“I missed you too.”
Betty pulled back and sat down at the table and waited until her friend had sat down as well.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out.”
“Don’t Cynthia. We both know who put me there. You know what’s funny about all of this, I had always believed it was Jeb who had killed Richard. I’d always thought he’d figured out who had killed his brother and had wanted payback. But what if it wasn’t him?”
“Why are you questioning it now?”
“Well eighteen years gives you a lot of time to think. Too much time. I realized that I did have one or two more enemies. Someone else could have killed Richard. The question is who? And why?”
~ About the Author ~
Award winning author, Maggie Thom, grew up in a house full of books and often made weekly trips to the library to get more. Reading was her go to, when it was too cold outside to play. She started experimenting with writing at a young age letting her imagination take her away on many adventures. Maggie has written everything from technical writing, to nonfiction, to fiction for children, youth and adults, along with poems and short stories. She finally settled on her love of puzzles, mysteries and roller coasters and now writes suspense/thrillers that will take you on one heck of a ride. Author of The Caspian Wine Series – Captured Lies and Deceitful Truths with Split Seconds to be out late 2016 – and her other published novel, Tainted Waters (2013 Suspense/Thriller Book of the Year through Turning the Pages Magazine). Her latest novel, Deadly Ties, to be released early 2016.
Her motto: Read to escape… Escape to read… Her motto: Escape to read and Read to escape.
“Maggie Thom writes a fast paced thriller laced with romance that keeps the reader interested and on edge!” InDtale Magazine
Contact Links
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads
~ Giveaway ~
May 23, 2016
How to self-edit #amwriting #editing
Like many educated professionals turned writers, I initially thought self-editing was all I needed. I have several University degrees; I don’t need an editor. Feel free to imagine the stomping foot. As with many, many ideas I initially had about self-publishing, I was wrong. Let me just repeat that. I. Was. Wrong. So now that I have a regular editor, I don’t need to self-edit, right? Wrong. Oh my gosh, so wrong. Don’t mistake me. My editor is awesome. But she’s only one person and she’s focused (rightly so!) on the grammatical and spelling mistakes. There’s are many, many other ‘errors’ to be edited out of a manuscript before publishing.
How do I self-edit? I spend a week after finishing a first draft self-editing before sending the manuscript to my editor. While the manuscript is at the editor, I don’t look at it. Not at all. Nope. Not even a little bit. When I have the edited version back, I’ll go through it for another week before declaring myself finished. Of course, I could spend a lot more time than this, but this is what works for me. You can get bogged down trying to make every single sentence perfect or you can actually publish your book. I chose to publish.
What do I look for while I’m self-editing?
Passive voice. I’m not saying that the passive voice is always wrong. Nothing is always wrong. But the passive voice can often be confusing and it slows down the action. I write in first person, which means the passive voice sounds convoluted. Grammatically, there’s nothing wrong with the passive voice, though, so it’s up to me and not my editor to get rid of that pesky passive voice.
Repeat of words. I’m really good at not repeating important words and phrases. My husband noted that I don’t repeat any of the crazy non-swear words that Anna uses in my new book, Bring Your Own Baker. That may be, but I do have certain somewhat inconsequential words that I repeat way too often. My personal nemeses are but, just and so. When self-editing, I highlight these words and then go through each and every instance. Do I really need the word? Is but the appropriate conjunction? Etc.
Correct verb tense. I hate, hate, hate when verb tense is messed up in a book. Unfortunately, it’s super easy to do. I write in first person, present tense. When I’m into the story, I hardly ever confuse verb tense. It’s when I’m struggling with a scene that it happens.
Timing. Who knew what when? I’m currently writing a series of cozy mysteries (the Death by Cupcake series) and it’s essential that information be parceled out in a certain manner to keep the villain secret until the big reveal. It’s important for other fiction to use correct timing as well. Nothing will make me throw the Kindle faster than characters being introduced to each other even though they met at a bar three chapters ago! (To be fair: a lot of things make me want to throw my Kindle.)
How do you self-edit?
May 22, 2016
Wanderlust by Bernadette Marie (@writesromance) #excerpt #giveaway
Title: Wanderlust
Author: Bernadette Marie
Genre: Contemporary Romance
~ Synopsis ~
Gia Gallow has traveled the world. Her wanderlust landed her in Georgia where she has created a life for herself away from the petty differences of relatives and domineering ex-lovers. Having settled in America, she has a successful business and dear friends—and the attention of both Dane and Russell Walker. Due to her own family’s dramas over dueling hearts, she might have to forget about her feelings for Dane to keep peace within the Walker family, but sometimes even running thousands of miles away can’t keep a heart from going after what the heart wants. And Gia’s heart wants Dane.
~ Excerpt ~
Dane awoke in his childhood bedroom with a start. As he sat there, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, he realized it wasn’t that he’d heard anything to wake him—in fact, it had been too quiet.
The sun was up and warm as it filtered through the window and onto his skin.
He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and then tucked it under his head. He closed his eyes and thought about the room.
It was his and Gerald’s room. Oh, if the walls could talk, he amused himself with the thought. They’d lived too far from town to have girls climbing in the windows, but they’d climbed out a few times. But once again, they’d lived too far from town to sneak out without being noticed.
They’d done things such as walk down to the river and fish by a full moon. There had been an enormous tree outside the window and during a storm it could be menacing and scary. But on a warm summer night, it was a refuge as the big branch came right to their window like a bridge to the outdoors.
There had always been two beds in the room. Sometimes they’d be pushed together for comfort, especially when that tree outside swayed in the wind. They’d also been the walls to some of the greatest forts ever built with blankets and sheets.
Long talks were had in that room. Some of those talks went well into early morning. They’d debated over Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. There were some very serious discussions over Super Bowl XXXIII. Atlanta’s new team had gone to the big game under the coaching of Dan Reeves, and they had to play his old team, the Denver Broncos. It seemed unfair to Gerald, but Dane thought it was just. He’d been a fan of John Elway his whole life. If he thought back hard enough, he was fairly sure that when he’d taunted Gerald with Elway’s win, he’d gotten a black eye. The thought of it had him chuckling to himself in the quiet.
Talks about football and fishing soon gave to girls and talks about birds and bees. He was grateful that walls couldn’t actually talk.
No longer were there posters and drawings on the walls. His mother had redesigned the room, he knew, for future grandchildren. The room was clean of everything but a dresser and a rocking chair. The closet door, another menacing nightmare maker, was cracked open as the door was too warped to stay closed.
Some poor grandchild would be as afraid of the abyss of the closet as he and Gerald had been.
It wasn’t long before the sound of the cattle caught his attention. He’d have to admit it was a much better sound than early morning traffic. Then he heard the roaring of the first pickup truck engine. Surely he’d actually slept through the first. The sun was up after all, and he knew his father and brothers were up before the sun.
Dane rolled to his side and pulled the blanket up to his ear. This was why it was good to be visiting. No one had awakened him and made him help out with the early morning chores. Suckers!
~ About the Author ~
Bernadette Marie has been an avid writer since the early age of 13, when she’d fill notebook after notebook with stories that she’d share with her friends. Her journey into novel writing started the summer before eighth grade when her father gave her an old typewriter. At all times of the day and night you would find her on the back porch penning her first work, which she would continue to write for the next 22 years.
In 2007 – after marriage, filling her chronic entrepreneurial needs, and having five children – Bernadette began to write seriously with the goal of being published. That year she wrote 12 books. In 2009 she was contracted for her first trilogy and the published author was born. In 2011 she (being the entrepreneur that she is) opened her own publishing house, 5 Prince Publishing, and has released contemporary titles and has begun the process of taking on other authors in other genres.
Bernadette spends most of her free time driving her kids to their many events. She is also an accomplished martial artist, working her way to her second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.
An avid reader she loves to meet readers who enjoy reading contemporary romances and she always promises Happily Ever After.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Amazon Author Page
~ Giveaway ~
Bernadette will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $20 Amazon GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
No Substitute for Motives by @CarolynJRose #cozymystery #giveaway
No Substitute for Motives by Carolyn J. Rose is now out and available for sale! This is the 6th book in the Subbing isn’t for Sissies series. This is a cozy mystery series and the first three books are only .99 cents!
About the Book:
While Barbara Reed’s drug-cop boyfriend is away, her life spins out of control. Dave’s daughter shifts to drama-queen overdrive, Cheese Puff hits new levels of canine entitlement, and Barb’s overbearing sister demands help with a mid-life makeover. To complicate matters, things go missing from the high school, and a plot surfaces to close the city pool.
Then things get worse—Barb’s neighbor is accused of killing a retired mobster known as Big Shiny. When she was Las Vegas showgirl royalty, Muriel Ballantine steered clear of the vicious thug. She insists she didn’t recognize him when she rented the stage at a remote inn to practice her dance routine for a reality show.
Barb is certain someone framed Mrs. B—perhaps Glorree Morning, a high-kicking competitor from back in the day. When the investigation stalls and Mrs. B is placed on house arrest, Barb decides it’s time to color outside the legal lines.
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N| Kobo
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Don’t miss the first book, No Substitute for Murder, only .99 cents!
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About the Author:
Carolyn J. Rose grew up in New York’s Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona, logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America, and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. She lives in Vancouver, Washington, and her interests are reading, gardening, swimming, and NOT cooking. Find out more about her and her books at http://www.deadlyduomysteries.com
Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook
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GIVEAWAY:
$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends June 15th
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
