Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 95
September 15, 2014
Falling for Books Blog Hop
Welcome to the Falling for Books Blog Hop, hosted by Lilybloombooks!
For this hop, I’m featuring some books I’ve fallen for in the last year, as well as my own book Sanguinary (because I hope you’ll fall in love with it!). I’m also giving away an ebook copy of Fairy, Texas, because I fell in love with the characters while I was writing it!
So check out all the cool books below, tell me about some books you’ve fallen for recently (it’s an entry in the Rafflecopter!), enter to win a copy of Fairy, Texas, then HOP! to the rest of the participating blogs!
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Fall for these Books!
Chasing the Star Garden (The Airship Racing Chronicles Book 1)
A young adult novel about jealousy and obsession.
Sixteen-year-old Sylvie isn’t comfortable in her own skin. In fact, there are times she can’t even manage to stay inside it. But if there is one thing she’s sure of, it’s her love for Kevin Phillips. She’s willing to stake everything on it — her family, her friends, and possibly her soul.
Junior year is off to a less than stellar start for Sylvie: Her parents are splitting up, her little brother is sitting at her lunch table, and she’s the target of the school bully. Plus, she accidentally astral projects, slipping out of her body again and again at all the worst times. Sylvie is cast as the class freak and a medical misfit. She wishes she were somewhere else. Someone else. But it’s only when her best friend catches the attention of the boy Sylvie’s loved in secret since the fifth grade that Sylvie makes up her mind to do something drastic.
Sylvie intends to get Kevin by any means possible — even if it involves treachery, deceit, and the insidious side of the paranormal. After years of trying to ignore her ability to astral project, Sylvie finally decides to embrace it. But she also decides to embrace the shadows that accompany her on her out-of-body experiences. Opening herself up to the shadows and their evil, Sylvie comes up with a dark plan. She is positive her scheme will give her what she wants, but she doesn’t count on it all spiraling out of control.
Untethered by Katie Hayoz explores the intoxicating and dangerous world of jealousy and obsession when coupled with paranormal ability. It is a touching, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking novel that speaks to the self-doubt lurking in us all.
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Deer in Headlights (Good Gods 1) (Good Gods Series)
Only fifty years left before vampires rule the world.
When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department.
But she didn’t know then what she knows now: there’s a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning.
So with the help of a disaffected vampire and an ex-cop addict, Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders, discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government, and, in the process, help win the war for the human race.
But can she maintain her own humanity in the process? Or will Cami find herself, along with the rest of the world, pulled under a darkness she cannot oppose?
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Giveaway
I’m giving away an e-book copy of Fairy, Texas–enter to win in the Rafflecopter!
Spotlight On: Who We Were by Christy Sloat
Title: Who We Were
Author: Christy Sloat
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Publication: September 15th, 2014
“Who we were had washed away with the summer. Who we are was yet to be seen.”
Summer school at Alcott High was only supposed to gain Sadie Peters extra credit, nothing more. Her goal wasn’t to make friends, or gain the attention of the most popular football player, yet she managed both. Her life was cruising along on course … until that summer.
Could a simple stint in a different school change her identity completely and introduce her to love for the first time? How would that affect her relationship with Lily, her best friend?
Hopefully their friendship was strong enough to make it through the tumultuous summer. Sadie learns that great things come with change, but sometimes memories of the past are hardest to part with.
Purchase:
Amazon
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Excerpt
I entered
the lunchroom and met Nash at the same table as yesterday. He gave me a huge
smile, but that was all. No hug or kiss on the cheek. Okay, fine.
I set down
my lunch tray that held pizza, an apple and an orange juice. Not exactly
healthy, but I tried. Nash sat with me and ate his pizza, but he didn’t engage
in conversation with me. Instead he sat and talked to Oliver and some other kid
named Henry, who I learned played ball with them. I was secure enough to
realize that Nash and I weren’t a couple; we were just getting to know each
other. So, I would just need to cool it and not get upset by his ignoring me. I
mean really, was he ignoring me on purpose or perhaps just busy with his guy
friends? I chose the latter.
“Oh, you sit
here too?” I looked up to see the shaggy haired boy sit across from me. I
scowled at him and said, “I was invited to sit here. Why are you here?”
I dropped my
pizza on my plate and realized I had an audience. All the boys at my table were
now watching me engage in a fight with this rude ass across from me.
“Last I
checked this was my team’s table. Is that okay with you or should I ask
Nash for permission?” What a complete jerk-face!
“So I see
you’ve met Nolan, my brother.” Nash laughed.
“Wait! What?
This kid is your brother?” I asked confused.
Nolan
laughed and said, “The one and only Nolan Rylan at your service. Twin brother
of the oh-so-fabulous Nash Rylan. And before you say, ‘But you don’t look like
him,’ it’s because we’re not identical twins.”
I found
myself with my mouth hanging open and closed it quickly. I couldn’t believe it.
Nash had a twin brother. The more I stared at Nolan, the more I noticed slight
similarities in their appearance. Nash had dark hair and so did Nolan. Their
smiles were the same, big white teeth grins.
Their eye
color wasn’t the same though. Nash’s were crystal blue and Nolan’s were honey
brown. Nash dressed casual like his personality, easy going. Nolan was crisp
and clean. And from his personality, it didn’t seem to match. He really threw
me when he put on his glasses and pulled out our homework assignment right
there at the table. He leaned back, ignoring me with ease, and read. I couldn’t
help but stare at him. He wasn’t a football player. No way.
“You play
football?” I inquired. He looked up from his book, and I felt a strange
sensation. The other guys went back to talking and ignoring me.
“Why is that
hard to believe? Do I look like a nerd to you?”
I looked at
his body. No, not really. He was fit enough, but he was slightly nerdy. Between
his well-manicured nails to his brown high end shoes, it was hard to picture
him in a football uniform.
“You just
dress so … so,” I struggled.
“So, nicely
perhaps? Not like a jock, I know. But thanks for noticing.” He pulled his book
higher and did as the other boys did, ignored me.
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About the Author
Christy Sloat is a SoCal born girl who resides in New Jersey currently with her husband, two daughters and Sophie her Chihuahua. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother’s loving support. Christy passes that love of reading, writing, and creativity to her daughters, family, and friends. When you do not find Christy within the pages of a book you can find her being mommy, wife, crafter, and dear friend. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. Be sure to venture into her Past Lives Series, The Visitor’s Series, and watch for many more exciting things to come.
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
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Giveaway
Hosted by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours
Spotlight On: Someday, My Forever by Carrie Fox
Someday, My Forever
Carrie Fox
New Adult, @25k words
September 14, 2014
Fairy Tale Magic Blog Hop ~ Featuring Fairy, Texas
Love…All things Fairy Tale? We’re celebrating them in all their forms…originals, adaptations, twists and retellings. Sweet or steamy or a little bit twisted! Hop through all the blogs for giveaways at each stop! And don’t forget to enter for the $100 Amazon gift card grand prize drawing too! Special thanks to Anna’s Burning Soup and Herding Cats for hosting this blog hop.
For this hop, I am featuring my own book Fairy Texas and giving away a paperback copy of a book entitled Running with the Fairies. Check them both out below, tell me what you love most about fairy tales (it’s an entry on the Rafflecopter), enter to win my giveaway and the grand prize giveaway, then HOP!
Fairy Texas
Running with the Fairies: Towards a Transpersonal Anthropology of Religion is a unique account of the living spirituality and mysticism of fairyfolk in Ireland. Fairyfolk are fairyminded people who have had direct experiences with the divine energy and appearance of fairies, and fairypeople, who additionally know that they have been reincarnated from the Fairy Realm.
While fairies have been folklore, superstition, or fantasy for most children and adults, now for the first time in a scholarly work, highly educated persons speak frankly about their religious/spiritual experiences, journeys, and transformations in connection with these angel-like spirit beings. Set in academic and popular historical perspectives, this first scholarly account of the Fairy Faith for over a hundred years, since believer Evans-Wentz’s 1911 published doctoral dissertation The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, integrates a participatory, going native anthropology with transpersonal psychology.
Providing extensive verbatim interviews and discussions, this path-breaking work recognizes the reality of nature spirit beings in a Western context. Through intensive on-site fieldwork, the PhD cultural anthropologist author discovers, describes and interviews authentic mystics aligned with these intermediary deific beings. With an extensive introduction placing fairies in the context of the anthropology of religion, animism, mysticism, and consciousness, this daring ethnography considers notions of belief , perception , and spiritual experience , and with intricate detail extends the focus of anthropological research on spirit beings which previously have been considered as locally real only in indigenous and Eastern cultures.
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GIVEAWAYS
Enter to Win Running with the Fairies
Enter to Win the $100 Grand Prize:
Entry-Form
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HOP to the Rest of the Blogs
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September 13, 2014
Interview with Lesa Howard, Author of Phantom’s Dance
Phantom’s Dance
by Lesa Howard
Release Date: 03/01/14
Summary from Goodreads:
Christine Dadey’s family uprooted their lives and moved to Houston for her to attend the prestigious Rousseau Academy of Dance. Now, two years later, Christine struggles to compete among the Academy’s finest dancers, her parents are on the brink of divorce, and she’s told no one about her debilitating performance anxiety and what she’s willing to do to cope with it.
Erik was a ballet prodigy, a savant, destined to be a star on the world’s stage, but a suspicious fire left Erik’s face horribly disfigured. Now, a lonely phantom forced to keep his scars hidden, he spends his nights haunting the theater halls, mourning all he’s lost. Then, from behind the curtain he sees the lovely Christine. The moldable, malleable Christine.
Drawn in by Erik’s unwavering confidence, Christine allows herself to believe Erik’s declarations that he can transform her into the dancer she longs to be. But Christine’s hope of achieving her dreams may be her undoing when she learns Erik is not everything he claims. And before long, Erik’s shadowy past jeopardizes Christine’s unstable present as his obsession with her becomes hopelessly entangled with his plans for revenge.
Book Blitz Organized by:
September 12, 2014
Wicked Hot Reads
Wicked Hot Reads: Ten Paranormal Romances
by Shoshanna Evers, Cathryn Fox, Sarah Mäkelä, A.C. James, Jan Springer, Milly Taiden, Lisa Hughey, Jessie Donovan, Titania Ladley, and Mina Carter
GIVEAWAY ($100 Giftcard & MORE): https://gleam.io/LiAl9/wicked-hot-reads-blog-tour-giveaway
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Kissa Press LLC
Date of Publication: October 7, 2014
Available NOW for preorder from:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Hot-Reads-Paranormal-Romances-ebook/dp/B00MU9YRD0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wicked-Hot-Reads-Paranormal-Romances-ebook/dp/B00MU9YRD0/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-hot-reads-shoshanna-evers/1120165197?ean=2940046263138
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wicked-hot-reads-nine-paranormal-romances
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=eGNNBAAAQBAJ
Book Description:
WICKED HOT READS: Ten Paranormal Romances
Indulge in ten sexy paranormal romance novels, written by New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance authors. With shifters, vampires, demons, and otherworldly creatures all looking for their own forever-loves… This box set bundle will get you in the mood for a sensual Halloween!
The books in Wicked Hot Reads: 10 Paranormal Romances would cost over $30 to buy individually. Save $29 by getting the bundle for just 99c for a limited time!
Featuring:
Beauty and the Beast (an erotic re-imagining) by NYT & USA Today bestseller Shoshanna Evers: The Beast can’t let his little Beauty go free, not while there’s still hope that she might be the one to end his decade-long curse…
Knocking on Demon’s Door by NYT & USA Today bestseller Cathryn Fox: When Michelle discovers what’s really going on at the resort, will her trust in a demon turn her in to one of the missing, or will he save her from the real monsters?
The Wolf Who Played With Fire by NYT & USA Today bestseller Sarah Mäkelä: Mia’s mistakes have forever changed the lives of those close to her, but when her soldier boyfriend, Ethan, goes missing on duty, she harness every magic power she possesses to get him safely back…
Fallen Ever After by NYT & USA Today bestseller A.C. James: Arie wanted Holly from the very first moment he met her, but the long-standing feud between the faeries that run the Chicago Crew puts Holly and other fledgling vampires in danger. Can they stop a vampire-fae war that’s been brewing for nearly a century?
Bared to Him by NYT & USA Today bestseller Jan Springer: Human by day, and a tentacle shapeshifter by night, sexy Gray Wagner, is the last male that Miranda Bolton dreams of falling in love with, until she begins to fantasize about all the naughty things he can do to her…
A Mate’s Bite by USA Today bestseller Milly Taiden: After an explosive night of passion, Karla is sure she’s a one-night stand for the man she’s wanted for years, but Nate has marked Karla. Only true love and a wolf’s promise can hold together a relationship created with a bite and a hope for tomorrow.
Archangel Rafe by Lisa Hughey: Angelina’s only respite from her overwhelming life is in her dreams with a stunningly hot angel, but when an unexpected threat puts both the Angelic Realm and Earth in jeopardy, Angelina will need to accept her destiny before it’s too late…
Blaze of Secrets by Jessie Donovan: Rescued from a prison for magic users, Kiarra is now a wanted criminal and must rely on a mysterious Brit to help her evade capture. Before long, her handsome rescuer becomes much more than just her trainer…
Mark of the Serapath by Titania Ladley: After a catastrophe unleashes Josie’s Serapathian witch magic, she suspects her sexy, mysterious lover is a Kynthian vampire ordered to kill all Serapaths. Despite the risks, passion explodes between them, threatening the future of the entire world.
Dragon’s Honor by Mina Carter: Bodyguard duty. Undercover. As human. Simple. Until shadow-dragon Baron realizes the woman they’re protecting is his mate. Add in a crazy warlock…and Baron might have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her.
About the Authors:
Shoshanna Evers
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shoshanna Evers has written dozens of sexy stories. She is best known for The Enslaved Trilogy, The Tycoon’s Convenient Bride…and Baby, Overheated, Make Me, and How to Write Hot Sex. Evers is also the cofounder of SelfPubBookCovers.com, the largest selection of premade book covers in the world.
Reviewers have called Shoshanna’s writing “sensuous, delightful, and sizzling” with stories where “the plot is fresh and the pacing excellent, the emotions…real and poignant.” Shoshanna used to work as a syndicated advice columnist and a registered nurse, but now she’s a full-time romance writer and a home-schooling mom. She lives with her family and three big dogs in Northern Idaho, and loves to connect with readers!
To learn more, visit ShoshannaEvers.com,
Shoshanna wants to stay in touch!
Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases first, and read excerpts you won’t find in the sample pages! ShoshannaEvers.com/newsletter
Email: ShoshannaEvers@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShoshannaEvers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shoshanna.evers
Cathryn Fox
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Cathryn Fox is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.
Visit Cathryn at http://www.cathrynfox.com
Twitter: @writercatfox
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCathrynFox
Wicked Writers: https://www.facebook.com/#!/TheWickedWriters
Allure Author: https://www.facebook.com/AllureAuthors?ref=hl
Sarah Mäkelä
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark, magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but she’s written all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy…even a sweet contemporary romance!
A life-long paranormal fan, she still sleeps with a night-light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies (and Ghost Adventures), and plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the world too.
Website: http://www.sarahmakela.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ed_Dz
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarahmakela
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsarahmakela
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/sarahmakela
A.C. James
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author A.C. James writes paranormal romance and erotica, including Eternal Ever After which was featured in the bestselling Spice Box anthology. She pounds out sexy scenes at her keyboard where romance is laced with horror in hot stories of vampires and bad boy werewolves. Her stories feature strong heroines and alpha heroes, with plenty of action, twists, and turns that will keep you turning pages.
A.C. resides in northeast Pennsylvania where she entertains her husband with her imaginative yarns and quirky sense of humor. She spends her time drinking large vats of coffee while taming two toddlers by day and writing by night. Recovering video game beta tester and tech geek who grew-up going to cons and watching SmackDown. There’s probably some cosplay pictures around somewhere of her dressed up as Bloodberry from Saber Marionette J. Just don’t tell anyone.
She loves to hear from readers on her website http://www.acjames.com. Please subscribe to her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ApQ7z
Jan Springer
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jan Springer writes in scenic cottage country, Ontario Canada. Hobbies include hiking, gardening, canning preserves, painting ceramics and dodging mosquitoes in the spring, summer and fall. Her best friend is an electric snow shovel in winter. She’s a member of RWA, Passionate Ink and the Author’s Union of Canada.
She loves hearing from her readers. Visit her site at http://www.janspringer.com
Milly Taiden
Hi! I’m Milly Taiden (AKA April Angel). I love to write sexy stories. They’re usually either paranormal or contemporary with a large dose of heat. My paranormal stories can be anything from wolf-shifters (my favorites) to witches, demons and anything in between.
I was born in the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. Currently, I live in New York City with my hubby, the bossy kiddo and our little dog “Needy Speedy”. Don’t ask.
I am addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn’t, right?) and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
Come on over and visit me! I love to meet new readers!
Like my books? Want to stay on top of all things Milly? Sign up for my newsletter at http://mad.ly/signups/87477/join
There’s a giveaways to all the emails signed up to get the latest news on my releases.
Find out more about Milly Taiden here:
Email: millytaiden@gmail.com
Website: http://www.millytaiden.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/millytaidenpage
Facebook Friend Page: http://www.facebook.com/milly.taiden
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/millytaiden
Lisa Hughey
Lisa Hughey has been writing romance since the fourth grade, which was also about the time she began her love affair with spies. Harriet and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys later gave way to James Bond and Lara Croft and Jason Bourne.
Exploring the complex nature of a profession that requires subterfuge and lies fascinates her. She loves combining her two passions into fiction. As evidenced by her Black Cipher Files series.
Archangel Rafe was her first foray into the paranormal but after spending time in the Angelic Realm, it won’t be her last. At their heart, the Seven novels are about the dynamics of family relationships. But the really hot Archangels don’t hurt.
And recently she’s been immersed in the Stone Family novellas, four stories about a blended family of brothers and sister who have a lot more in common than they realize. But of course she couldn’t just write about family and romance. There are complex plots, bad guys, and suspense too.
Lisa loves to hear from readers and has various places you can connect with her, although, shh, Twitter is her favorite.
Follow Lisa on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/lisahughey
Visit Lisa on the Web http://www.lisahughey.com
Her Group Blog, the Pens Fatales http://www.pensfatales.com
Email Lisa lisahughey@pacbell.net
Be Lisa’s Friend on Goodreads http://www.goodreads/lisahughey
Jessie Donovan
Jessie Donovan wrote her first story at age five, and after discovering the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey in junior high, realized that people actually wanted to read stories like those floating around inside her head. From there on out, she was determined to tap into her over-active imagination and write a book someday.
After living abroad for five years and earning degrees in Japanese, Anthropology, and Secondary Education, she buckled down and finally wrote her first full-length book. While that story will never see the light of day, it laid the world-building groundwork of what would become her debut paranormal romance, Blaze of Secrets.
Jessie loves to interact with readers. When not reading a book or traipsing around some foreign country on a shoestring, can often be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Join Jessie’s newsletter here: http://bit.ly/19FmZbt or visit her website for information at: http://www.jessiedonovan.com
Titania Ladley
Bestselling author Titania Ladley is a registered nurse and erotic romance author living in Wisconsin, USA. She is published with Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, and Red Sage. Her erotic romance genres and sub-genres include menage M/M/F, menage M/F/M, lesbian, gay, paranormal, historical, contemporary, vampire, and many more including light bondage BDSM. Keep up-to-date on Titania’s website or join her newsletter for news, contests, and fun extras.
She also writes under the pseudonym Roxana Blaze.
Enjoy Titania’s (aka Roxana’s) books! http://www.TitaniaLadley.com
Subscribe to Titania’s newsletter – http://bit.ly/1gLtR7L
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TitaniaLadley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/titania.ladley
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/titanial/
Mina Carter
Mina Carter is a bestselling, multi-genre author, a prolific digital artist, and a photographer. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and a bossy cat who prefers to sleep on her desk rather than his bed.
Connect with Mina online at:
https://www.facebook.com/minacarterauthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2920063.Mina_Carter
If you’d like to be notified of new releases AND get free eBooks sign up here: http://eepurl.com/dCFGs. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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Giveaway
Wicked Hot Reads Blog Tour Giveaway
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September 11, 2014
Funny Books by Rich Leder
Author Bio:
Rich Leder
Screenwriter—Novelist—Publisher
Rich Leder has been a working writer for more than two decades. His screen credits include 18 produced television films for CBS, NBC, Lifetime, and Hallmark and feature films for Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, and Left Bank Films.
He has written four funny novels to be released in 2014: McCall & Company: Workman’s Complication, McCall & Company: Swollen Identity, Juggler, Porn Star, Monkey Wrench, and Let There Be Linda.
He has been the lead singer in a Detroit rock band, a restaurateur, a Little League coach, a literacy tutor, a magazine editor, a screenwriting coach, a commercial real estate agent, an indie film director, and a visiting artist for the University of North Carolina Wilmington Film Studies Department, among other things, all of which, it turns out, were grist for the mill. He resides on the North Carolina coast with his awesome wife, Lulu, and is sustained by the visits home of their three college kids.
Rich loves to hear from readers and writers. Please don’t be shy.
You can write him directly at rich@laughriotpress.com
Or you can visit him at www.laughriotpress.com/richleder
Author Links –
Website: laughriotpress.com/richleder
Blog: laughriotpress.com/blog
Facebook: facebook.com/laughriotpress
Twitter: twitter.com/laughriotpress
Pinterest: pinterest.com/laughriotpress
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8304523.Rich_Leder?from_search=true
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Leder/e/B00N66JNN0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1410055056&sr=8-1
Book Genre: FUNNY MYSTERY // FUNNY FICTION
Publisher: LAUGH RIOT PRESS
Release Date: AUGUST 2014
Buy Link(s): Amazon
Book Description:
MCCALL & COMPANY: WORKMAN’S COMPLICATION
WAY-OFF BROADWAY ACTRESS. MURDERED PI FATHER. NEW DAY JOB.
Off-off-off-off Broadway actress Kate McCall inherits her father’s New York private investigation business after he’s a whole lot of murdered in a life insurance company elevator.
A concrete-carrying, ballroom-dancing construction mule says he fell off the scaffolding and can never work—or dance—again, and then sues the contractor for a whole lot of money.
Kate assembles the eccentric tenants of her brownstone and her histrionic acting troupe to help her crack the cases, and they stir up a whole lot of trouble.
But not as much trouble as Kate, who sticks her nose in the middle of the multi-million-dollar life-insurance scam her father was investigating and gets a whole lot of arrested for murdering a medical examiner.
Will Kate bust the insurance scam, prove who really killed the examiner—and her father—and get out of jail in time to pull off the ballroom sting of the decade? She might, but it’s going to be a whole lot of hilarious.
MCCALL & COMPANY: SWOLLEN IDENTITY
BEAUTIFUL BILLIONAIRE SOCIALITE. COLD-BLOODED CORPORATE ASSASSIN. MCCALL & COMPANY BACK IN BUSINESS.
Way-off Broadway actress and NYC PI Kate McCall had promised the police and the Assistant DA—her son—that she was all done investigating any damn thing in New York…
Meaning beautiful billionaire socialite Brooke Barrington says someone has stolen her identity and the corporate assassin who murdered Kate’s father has shot the eyes out of the CEO of Superior Press…
Meaning McCall & Company is back in business…
Meaning Kate enlists the help of the eccentric tenants of her brownstone—the House of Emotional Tics—and her melodramatic acting troupe, the Schmidt and Parker Players…
Meaning things spiral hilariously and dangerously out of control…
Meaning she is confronted by Brooke’s demonic identical twin, Bailey, accosted by international counterfeiters, and arrested for impersonating a hooker.
Will Kate stop Bailey from murdering Brooke? Or will she stop Brooke from murdering Bailey? Or will she figure out how to tell one from the other in time to survive the wrath of the Bulgarian mob men hired to protect the counterfeit cash?
And will she finally find her father’s killer?
She might, but it’s going to be a fast, funny, furious ride.
JUGGLER, PORN STAR, MONKEY WRENCH
My name is Mark Manilow. I am a Hollywood screenwriter. Here’s my recipe for a cocktail called “Romantic Hollywood Sex Comedy.”
Start with my estranged wife, who left me two years ago to become a juggler.
Pour in the ensuing emotional tailspin conjoined with a brutal case of writer’s block.
Mix with my last-gasp writing job, a ridiculous porn flick called Broken Boner.
Add in the Broken Boner porn star, who seduces me into an ill-fated relationship.
Blend with the gun-toting producer and eccentric Montecito billionaire, who hire me to adapt the phonebook into a movie.
Toss in the return of my headaches and a trip to an ancient Chinese healer, where I meet the healer’s beguiling granddaughter—my monkey wrench.
Serve with wonderment as to whether or not I’ll find a way to settle things with the juggler, break it off with the porn star, and fall in love with the monkey wrench…or if anyone will stop laughing long enough to notice.
Excerpt:
JUGGLER, PORN STAR, MONKEY WRENCH
My parents stood by the front of the stage, staring at the glowing songwriter with wonder and awe. They weren’t as used to seeing famous people as we all were.
Once you’ve seen George Hamilton buy apples at Gelson’s, looking tan and fit for someone one-hundred-sixteen-years-old, the thrill dissipates to some degree. But this wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill famous person. It wasn’t Heather Locklear or David Spade. It was a glowing global legend. My mother was grasping my father’s arm with a superhuman adrenaline rush of strength normally reserved for women whose small children are trapped beneath parked cars. I thought to intercede on their behalf and escort them over to meet the man in the flesh, but as thin as Barry was, I was afraid my mother might break him in half.
Ally Kramer’s interest appeared to peak now that Barry was here. I imagined calculators clicking furiously in her head. If Barry Manilow was doing the music, she could raise the budget by twenty million. Think of the soundtrack album! Think of the international appeal! Talk about reaching the cabaret demographic! Why make a movie for one hundred seventy-five million when you can make one for two hundred million? I saw her nodding with approval and whispering into Cathy’s ear.
Behind me, Royal T and Boogie had sprung into action. Boogie had created a mellow blue hue around Barry’s table, dimming the lights elsewhere in the church while throwing three azure pin spots on Barry himself. It was a remarkable effect and I thought if Boogie is this good on the fly, the staged reading should really be something special. To complement the lighting, Royal T had cross-faded Ry Cooder’s Buena Vista Social Club with Barry’s Trying to Get the Feeling, and the whole room had a sunset on the beach kind of vibe that was warm and electric at the same time.
And then the door opened again and Dr. Alvin Yee, wearing a purple tuxedo and tails, a purple top hat, and purple Puma Clydes stepped into the church with Caroline on his arm, and everything stopped.
My sister saw him first and froze. Phil followed her starstruck gaze and his jaw dropped open. Then my parents saw him. Then Eddie and Gloria and Cletis. Then the porn people. Then Barry and his entourage. Finally, everyone in the Colonel’s studio was staring at Dr. Yee and his granddaughter.
Yee’s long white beard was done in three separate French braids, as was his hair, which spilled out of the top hat and reached all the way down his back. Caroline was a vision of loveliness in a beautiful blue evening gown, her skin perfectly porcelain, her hair a glossy shimmering black.
For all the money and time and blood and sweat spent trying to catch lightning in a bottle, the truth is not much magic is found here in Hollywood. It’s a town of smoke and mirrors and gummed up gears. So when genuine magic walks through the door—say, dressed in purple from head to toe—legends and losers and icons and idiots alike stop and stare, not exactly recognizing it as magic per se, but sensing an unusual wave in the groomed LA sand.
Boogie dimmed the blue lights on Barry and wrapped a soft white curtain around Dr. Yee and his granddaughter. Royal T, who no doubt had some magic in his Watusi history, cross-faded to Hendrix’ Are you Experienced? but kept the volume low. Everyone looked at the wizard as if waiting for a signal that all was well with the world.
Dr. Yee stood there for a long moment, letting the vibe wash over him, then held up the peace sign. An audible sigh of relief, or possibly a gasp of wonderment, echoed through the space, Boogie brought up the blue light, Royal T came back with Barry’s Even Now, and Yee and Caroline walked into the room. I met them at a table just beside the Colonel’s raised La-Z-Boy platform.
“You look beautiful,” I said to Caroline, who smiled and hugged me hello. “Tell your grandfather I’m glad he came.”
Caroline translated, and Yee said something in Chinese.
“He says he never misses a coming-out party,” Caroline said.
“Tell him I don’t understand what he means,” I said.
She did, and he smiled, singing his answer.
Caroline translated. “Lucky you. It’s a surprise party.”
Before I could press him on this surprise coming-out-party business, Colonel Bill Curry strode onto the stage with all the confidence of a madman who has found a way to bend reality to his will instead of vice versa.
“Ladies and gentlemen. You are humbly invited to take your seats,” he said.
Schedule
September 7 – Introduction at VBT Café Blog
September 8 – Spotlight at Debbie Jeans
September 10 – Spotlight at Words, Words, Words
September 12 – Guest Blogging at PubSlush
September 15 – Interviewed at A. Literary Mafia
September 17 – Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner
September 19 – Interviewed at Bikers With Books
September 22 – Review & Guest Blog at Lilac Reviews
September 24 – Reviewed at KimberkyandCompany
September 26 – 5 Things I Know For Sure at CAT Magazine
September 29 – Interviewed at BK Walker Books Etc.
October 1 – Review & Interview at My Life, Love, & Passions
October 3 – Guest Blogging at The Avid Reader
October 6 – Interviewed at YAH Did Radio 6:30pm EST
October 8 – Spotlight at Black Coffee, Brown Cow
October 10 – Spotlight at A Cup Of Tea & A Big Book
October 13 – Author 2 Author Marketing at BookIt BK
October 15 – Interviewed at Ghost Rider Book Promotions
October 17 – Review & Interview at AG Lang Writes
October 20 – Spotlight at Dalene’s Book Reviews
October 22 – 6 Besties at BK Walker Books
October 24 – Reviewed at BK Walker Books
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September 10, 2014
The Most Difficult Character, a Guest Post by Stacey Marie Brown, Author of Blood Beyond Darkness
The Most Difficult Character I’ve Written
I think one of my most favorite characters to write is also one of the more difficult ones—
Elighan Dragen. Just his name makes me blush and smile like a fool. Pathetic Stacey…your own fictional, bad-boy character who makes you react like a school girl. *shakes head*
Eli is one of my favorite characters because that boy has so many layers. He’s like a walking contradiction. And I barely scratch the surface of him in Book One. By the final book, Blood Beyond Darkness, we get to understand him better, but Beast In The Darkness (A Elighan Dragen Novelette) is the best way to crawl inside Eli’s mind. Even with that he is still a mystery.
In Darkness of Light, we discover who and what he is. Bring this makes him sarcastic, blunt, harsh, and sometimes cruel. He is upfront and honest about the fact that he is not a nice guy. But do we girls ever real listen? We always want to believe there is more underneath. What causes someone to be that way? Believing not his words but a look he gives us instead. Sometimes that is the case and sometimes it is not. Eli will never be the “nice” guy. That is not who he is, nor will it ever be. That is what makes him difficult to write at times. There is a fine line between keeping him true to his personality and how he would respond to fans thinking he is too much of an asshole. But, one thing Eli is not is one dimensional. Most of his harsh words and reaction stem from deep fear. He does not handle emotion well and his way of dealing with it is to push people away or hurt someone so they will leave first. Not that he is always aware of this. He is good at cutting off his feelings. There are things in his past, a lot of skeletons hanging in his closet, so to speak. His reactions and treatment of Ember are more than what you think. But having that come across can be tricky. Some might find him too much and think Ember deserves better. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. Though don’t for one minute pity Ember. She isn’t the typical ingénue. Ember could all too easily steamroll over a “nice” guy’s ass! She needs someone who challenges her every step of the way.
Writing “bad” or “evil” people are fun, but I never like writing them simply evil. I always feel someone has a reason for what or why they do things. Even if their thoughts are skewed or warped, you can still see their side. Aneira was another character which people were going to hate, but I wanted to show you why she was so nasty. I was probably the only one, but I felt bad for her. Her past made her the person she turned into.
Evil is so much better when you can almost understand why they are doing it. Life is lived in grey. You never know what you are capable of until you are put into a situation. Good and Bad are not always straight forward. That is where my characters live, because it is real. I never really liked characters that got too righteous or on their high horse about something. People don’t usually work like that if they find their friends or family being threatened. In these cases most anyone can be capable of murder or doing something bad. That is what makes things interesting. Personally, I find those kinds of characters much more interesting to read than perfect ones. No one is perfect so why do we expect the characters in the stories to be? They are not always going to do or say the right thing. But isn’t that what makes them relatable and fun?
Title: Blood Beyond Darkness
Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Series: Darkness #4
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: August 28th, 2014
After months of searching, Ember and her friends have finally located the Sword of Light, the only weapon capable of destroying Queen Aneira and ending her rule. This is Ember’s destiny. Or so she thought. Now a pact to save the man she loves changes everything.
In this final installment in the Darkness Series, when the truth comes to light, Ember will learn some things are better left in the dark as her world is ripped even further apart. It is no longer a rabbit hole, but a never-ending black void full of endless lies, betrayals, and secrets.
The fight for Earth has begun, and Ember will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save millions of innocent lives and those she loves.
But this price may be too high—even for her.
Purchase:
Amazon
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Other books in the Darkness series:
Darkness of Light (book #1)
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Smashwords
Fire in the Darkness (book #2)
Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords
Dwellers of Darkness (book #3)
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
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About Stacey
Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.
She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is Eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly.
Facebook: (Author Page, Book Page) | Twitter | Website | Google+ | Pinterest | Instagram
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Giveaway
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Hosted by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours
September 9, 2014
Spotlight On: For Love of Livvy, by J. M. Griffin
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding winner’s choice of an eBook from Lachesis Publishing to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the banner to see a list of other stops on the tour.
NOTE: THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FREE EVERYWHERE IT’S SOLD! Why not pick up your copy today?
After her favorite aunt is found dead and an alarming box is mysteriously left on the doorstep of her aunt’s house now legally hers, Lavinia Esposito wants explanations. But, having cleared the package of explosives, the local cops are dumbounded by the precious stones which came without an explanation, just an address─her Aunt Livvy’s. Frustrated by the cops’ refusal to share their theories, criminal justice instructor Lavinia Esposito, a.k.a. Vinnie, takes investigation matters into her own hands. Vinnie is soon dragged into situations beyond her control, finding herself in hot water with the law, the crooks, and her Italian father. Willing to put her life at risk to find out what really happened to her beloved Aunt Livvy, and why jewels would be addressed to her aunt, Vinnie plunges ahead with her usual tenacity, bravery, and keen wits to solve and survive this mystery.
Now enjoy an excerpt:
It wasn’t long before the limber old guy came into view as he hot footed down the street with a stethoscope in his hand. This particular piece of equipment wasn’t quite what I’d expected, but then he wasn’t a bomb expert either.
When he arrived on the doorstep slightly out of breath, he glanced at the parcel, and then turned toward me.
“This was just delivered, you say?” MacNert squinted toward me with wizened brown eyes that twinkled all the time. It was as though there was a private joke going on inside his head.
“Yeah, someone knocked on the door, and when I got here to answer, there was nobody around. It didn’t seem prudent to mess with it, so I called you.”
“You just finished that bomb class, eh?” He chuckled and then sobered quickly. Since 9/11, everyone took stuff like this with a serious attitude. While he chuckled, I knew MacNert was no different.
The stethoscope ends plugged into his ears, Bill laid its diaphragm on top of the package. Removing it, he gingerly set it against the sides and listened again. I didn’t make a sound as he stood and glanced up.
“There’s no tickin’ but that doesn’t mean it’s not an explosive. You should probably call the state police barracks up the road. Have them send their bomb guys down for a lookie see, just to be on the safe side.”
“Geez, I hate to do that. I’ll feel stupid if it’s a joke,” I whined.
“It’s up to you, but if you were nervous enough to call me, then you should call them. It’s just my opinion, Vin.” He stepped over the box and wandered into the entryway. “Got anythin’ to eat? Wifey’s out of town visitin’ her sister and I’m starved.”
Bill didn’t seem over concerned, but then again, he hadn’t recently taken a bomb class either. My eyes never left the box as I answered him. “There’s food in the fridge, help yourself.”
I’d known the homely man and his family for years and respected his opinion. Tapping my fingers against my lips, I called after him, “You’re right. I’ll ring the state police now, but stick around okay?”
Unwilling to be nailed as over-dramatic by the staties, I reluctantly punched in the numbers. It was bad enough that the local cops had bugged the shit out of me for the first month after Aunt Livvy’s death. They still stopped by now and then, annoying me even more with stupid questions. Questions to which I had no answers.
After the trooper covering the desk answered, I explained what I’d found on the doorstep. He seemed unconcerned until I mentioned my name and address, and then he stated someone would be down momentarily. The swift change in his manner piqued my curiosity. I wondered why he’d suddenly capitulated when his initial response had been of disinterest.
J. M. Griffin is a student of the human condition, wielding the written craft to stimulate the imagination much like she wields her paint brush. The pages are a blank canvas on which J.M. draws vivid characters. J.M. is the author of the popular Vinnie Esposito mystery series featuring the sexy sleuth Vinnie Esposito and the engaging Deadly Bakery mystery series featuring the sassy baker/sleuth Melina Cameron. J.M. lives in rural Rhode Island, a state she considers colorful and interesting.
Author links:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Griffin/246751368685078
http://www.twitter.com/mycozymystery
http://mycozymysteries.blogspot.com/
Buy Links:
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-love-of-livvy-j-m-griffin/1102586938?ean=9781897562468
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/399272
