Jennifer Locklear's Blog, page 9

Locklear Library: Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon

It���s hard to believe but, it���s been a year since our last Locklear Library installment. We really enjoy this segment and have wanted to do much more with it than we have; but therein lies the problem. Those Outlander books are big!

We read books together, which is to say that Jennifer reads them aloud while Morgan plays stick figure golf on his phone. Dragonfly In Amber, the second book in the Outlander series, is big enough to be mistaken for a family bible and we also had our hands full with the editing and publishing or our own novel. Needless to say, it was a long year that went by in a short time but during that time we have made a ton of Outlander (and OutMANder) friends.

To refresh your memory (and ours), this post will be a written conversation between us about our experiences and impressions of the book. We do our best not to disclose spoilers, but we will be talking about the story, and we have no idea what we���ll be asking each other about until now.

Morgan will go first���

 

MORGAN: Before we began reading, you warned me that Dragonfly In Amber was written differently than Outlander. This is, of course, due to the fact that the story is bookended by narrative that takes place in two different times. How did you find this change in tone and tense served the novel?

JENNIFER: It was a bold, yet essential decision for the saga to include third person narrative in addition to the continuation of Claire���s first person perspective. The plot broadens so much in Dragonfly In Amber and goes far beyond Claire���s supernatural experiences and her love story with Jamie. Claire���s limited perspective couldn���t possibly cover all of the important plot points that occur in the second book. I also think the change in narrative style sets the perfect tone for Voyager, the third book in the series.

“Roger followed Brianna toward the front of the room, watching the curling tendrils that escaped from her braid to coil damply on her neck.

All that remained now at the front of the kirk was a plain wooden ledge above the hole where the altarstone had been removed. Still, Roger felt something of a quiver up his spine as he stood beside Brianna, facing the vanished altar.

The sheer intensity of his feelings seemed to echo in the empty space. He hoped she couldn���t hear them. They had known each other barely a week, after all, and had had scarcely any private conversation. She would be taken aback, surely, or frightened, if she knew what he felt. Or worse yet, she would laugh.”

As we progressed through Dragonfly In Amber, I noticed your attitude toward Roger (Mackenzie) Wakefield shift significantly throughout the story. You definitely had varying reactions to his character, so I���d like to hear your thoughts about him.

MORGAN: I was getting pretty bored with the first several chapters of Dragonfly In Amber. I wanted to get back to the story in the past, and Roger���s character didn���t exactly jump off the page at the beginning. However, when Claire told her tale to Roger and Brianna, and then revealed how his own past was wrapped up in the story, I was thrilled to see the future world of the story finally connect with the past. Roger is a dry fellow, and I wonder how much more we are going to see of him and his ancestors.

Speaking of ancestors, I was surprised to see how Geilie fit back into the story. Dragonfly In Amber ended well with her having a big moment that (for me) changed everything. What do you think of her? Does Claire finally get a BFF?

JENNIFER: Having read a bit further into the series than you, it���s possible I already know the answer to that question. And you know me; I don���t like to post spoilers. I would simply say that all the characters (Claire included) held a certain level of distrust for Geilie and that should probably be kept in mind going forward.

It was fun watching your reaction to Geilie���s re-appearance in Dragonfly In Amber. As someone who doesn���t know happens after the end of Book Two, I���m curious to hear what your theories are about her?

MORGAN: Well, I am currently processing the fact that when Geilie went through the rocks in 1968 she arrived in the past BEFORE Claire got there, even though Claire went through in1947. I predict that both Claire and Brianna will go back together and Roger might even accompany them, owing to the perceived bad parenting decision to take one���s daughter to Rapeville.

No matter what happens, I know I���ll be hooked because the author, Diana Gabaldon, has really found her voice and is crafting some of the most interesting historical fiction I���ve read since Ken Follet���s, Pillars of the Earth. Has Outlander become your new favorite series, outstripping even Twilight and Harry Potter?

JENNIFER: I have so much personal emotional investment in my Twilight reading experience that I think I just have to put that series aside completely in order to objectively answer your question.

I loved reading the Harry Potter books, but I could finish them and walk away not worrying too much about what else I might be missing out on. I do think Outlander will stand out as one of the best books series I���ll ever read simply because I was immediately willing to go back and re-read these books with you. And this is no slight commitment. It took us over a year to finish reading the first two books and we���re only a quarter of the way done with the series. So, I think it���s fair to say we���ll be investing a lot of quality time reading this saga together. That���s bound to be a far reaching memory for both of us.

During Dragonfly In Amber, we were introduced to more of Jamie Fraser���s family. I noticed that Simon Fraser (Lord Lovat) to be of great amusement to you. Do you want to comment on some of the ways in which humor was effectively used by Diana Gabaldon to craft a more compelling story?

MORGAN: Ah yes, Lord Lovat, the old false teeth wearing bastard that dared to blackmail Jamie with threats about his new wife���s continued virtue. Jamie burned him good with his reply, and it was only one of the many good belly laughs I had while reading this book with you. I always think that a bit of humor is valuable in a story, and the Outlander series is almost as funny as it is everything else. Most of the light moments come during Jamie and Claire���s disagreements, but there was some political humor in this book as well as some snarky observations of historical irony.

I raised my arms, reaching behind my head to gather my hair into a bun. Suddenly Jamie leaned forward and grasped my wrist, pulling my arm into the air.

���What are you doing?��� I said, startled.

���What have you done, Sassenach?��� he demanded. He was staring under my arm.

���Shaved,��� I said proudly. ���Or rather, waxed. Louise had her servante aux petits soins ��� you know, her personal groomer? ��� there this morning, and she did me, too.���

���Waxed?��� Jamie looked rather wildly at the candlestick by the ewer, then back at me. ���You put wax in your oxters?���

���Not that kind of wax,��� I assured him. ���Scented beeswax. The grooming lady heated it, then spread the warm wax on. Once it���s cooled, you just jerk it off,��� I winced momentarily in recollection, ���and Bob���s your uncle.���

���My uncle Bob wouldna countenance any such goings-on,��� said Jamie severely. ���What in hell would ye do that for?��� He peered closely at the site, still holding my wrist up.

���Didn���t it hur ��� hurt ��� choof!��� He dropped my hand and backed up rapidly.

���Didn���t it hurt?��� he asked, handkerchief to nose once more.

���Well, a bit,��� I admitted. ���Worth it, though, don���t you think?��� I asked, raising both arms like a ballerina and turning slightly to and fro. ���First time I���ve felt entirely clean in months.���

���Worth it?��� he said, sounding a little dazed. ���What���s it to do wi��� clean, that you���ve pulled all of the hairs out from under your arms?���

A little belatedly, I realized that none of the Scottish women I had encountered employed any form of depilation. Furthermore, Jamie had almost certainly never been in sufficiently close contact with an upper-class Parisienne to know that many of them did. ���Well,��� I said, suddenly realizing the difficulty an anthropologist faces in trying to interpret the more singular customs of a primitive tribe. ���It smells much less,��� I offered.

���And what���s wrong wi��� the way ye smell?��� he said heatedly. ���At least ye smelt like a woman, not a damn flower garden. What d���ye think I am, a man or a bumblebee?���

What did you think the relationship between Jack Randall and Claire, and how it changed from Book One to Book Two? I didn���t expect them to even want to be in the same room but they enter into a kind of uneasy agreement for peace. Do you think it will make a difference in the end?

JENNIFER: As a writer, I can answer that the truce in their relationship was absolutely elemental to serve the overall story. As a reader, it certainly created a new layer of drama and it allowed me to appreciate the complexity of both characters just that much more. No matter how we feel about Black Jack Randall, we know he must exist and do certain things to ensure the existence of Claire���s first husband, Frank.

Speaking of poor Frank, the TV adaptation of Outlander debuted while we were reading Dragonfly In Amber, and I was so pleased to see how Frank���s character evolved on the show for a couple of reasons. Unlike many readers, I didn���t find his early scenes with Claire in Outlander boring or off-putting. I always believed Frank loved Claire, but that due to the extraordinary circumstances their marriage was forced to endure, they simply didn���t know one another like they should have.

I liked that the television series shows us the agony that Frank goes through when Claire disappears through the stones at Craigh na Dun. I also think that when you compare Frank���s character to that of Black Jack Randall, it makes Jack���s treachery all the more evil in contrast. I think by shining a bigger spotlight on Frank in the TV show, it ultimately makes Jack Randall a more effective villain.

Were there any elements of the TV series that you felt enhanced the story as you know it?

MORGAN: Like you, I���m thrilled that Frank Randall has been better developed. Tobias Menzies certainly has landed himself a juicy dual role. It took me a while to get used to Jamie, but I really love the casting. It helped me keep some of the clansmen straight as well. I���ll also admit I was pleased that the TV show was just as sexual and exposed as the book was.

Didn���t you say Book Three has been your favorite so far? Care to give me a hint as to why?

JENNIFER: Well, since we read the first chapter of Voyager together last evening, I don���t think it won���t spoil anything to say that we get to know more about Jamie Fraser in Book 3.

We���ll experience Jamie from something other than Claire���s perspective, and as a result I think there will be some truly eye-opening moments. I really can���t wait to have that discussion with you. You���ve already experienced so much by reading the first two books, but you haven���t seen anything yet���

MORGAN: I remember a scene from Outlander where Jamie got his first real thrashing from his father and afterward he was told to go into the house to let his mother comfort him. When he protested, his father told him something like ���It���s not for you Lad, it���s for her.��� I liked the parts we read about Jamie���s life before Claire and if book three is going to dip us into that again I will no doubt like it as much as you.

As Jennifer mentioned, we have already begun Voyager, (7% complete according to the Kindle), and will write up our feelings in another edition of Locklear Library as soon as we���re done.

In the meantime, we will be posting another discussion on Sylvain Reynard���s novella, The Prince, in the next few weeks. We read it to cleanse the palate between Books Two and Three of the Outlander series.

If you���ve enjoyed our talk today and would like to look up Diana Gabaldon and her works, here is the Goodreads link for you to check out.

Please also feel free to friend us on Goodreads to see what else we���re reading and to share your recommendations with us.

Morgan�� Jennifer

See you soon and thanks for reading!

Pop Talk: Fifty Shades of L.A.

Quite unexpectedly, we were invited to attend the Los Angeles screening of Fifty Shades of Grey last weekend. Although the trip away from home was spontaneous, we decided it was the perfect way to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary and Valentine���s Day all in one swoop. So, we drove to the Portland airport and hopped a plane last Thursday.

The hotel we stayed at downtown had a multi-level Japanese garden so we spent our first morning roaming around on a rooftop oasis in the midst of skyscrapers and at least one cathedral. It reminded us of a similar garden Morgan created in a story called Brutte Parole. It also brought back some fond memories of working together when we were just finding our feet in fiction.

Later in the day, we ventured to Hollywood, where there are more size twelve thigh high glitter boots than anywhere else in the world. Morgan always likes to purchase new music any time we travel and he had no trouble selecting a few albums at a huge store called Amoeba. He picked up a few here-to-fore difficult finds for his extensive LP collection, and then it was back to the hotel to gussy ourselves up for the big night downtown.

It was a major and pleasant surprise to run into no less than ten people we���ve gotten to know in this online community. After picking up our movie tickets from Will Call, the group ventured across the street to the Ritz Carlton. We enjoyed cocktails and appetizers from the 24th floor bar. We were able to place faces with names and enjoyed a fantastic view of the city as the clock ticked ever closer to showtime.

The theater was electric. People were buzzing like eager chainsaws to see the movie and the sense of comradery was like that of a Comic-Con. We stopped short of locking arms and singing “Single Ladies”, but it was truly a night of goodwill and well wishes all around. Morgan noted that he had the men���s restroom all to himself and Jennifer got a chance to deepen her relationships with already beloved friends in her Twitter feed.

When the lights went down, the crowd cheered. As the movie���s title appeared over the cloudy skies of Seattle while Anne Lennox sang ���You���ve Got a Spell on Me��� we knew we were about to see something fabulous.

As the characters were introduced to us, we both agreed the movie was quite funny. The humor throughout the film was a welcome relief as the stakes were raised for the seemingly mismatched lovers. The chemistry was clearly as thick as Jell-O between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. His coolness mixed with her shy warmth made a strong tea and the aroma wafted through the large theater.

We were instantly taken back to those long ago days of reading the story chapter by chapter as E.L. James��� updates nearly broke fanfiction.net and rendered Twitter a virtual ghost town every week for about two years. It didn���t take long for the film to intensify as the relationship between Christian and Anastasia deepened. The sex scenes were hot and the acting was fierce. Danny Elfman���s score was perfect in tone and instrumentation as the characters discovered one another. We were all getting hooked on this captivating love story once again.

Many people (who have probably never bothered to read the books) declare that this is a story that degrades women and must therefore be avoided. We feel that it is a story of a man who takes control to maintain his own sanity and who simply doesn���t know another way until he meets a woman who refuses to play by his rules. If that isn���t a story about how strong women can be, we don���t know what is.

By the end of the movie, we were left breathless and wholly impressed with the efforts put forth by the production team. The film looked amazing, hit all the good points in the book, and will put Dakota Johnson at the center of a bidding war for her talents for a long time to come.

Jamie Dornan was good as well. Not that we ever considered Fifty to be a robot, but he was always so intense and so focused on having all the control, that it was difficult to picture him as any kind of normal. Christian came off much colder in the book, and we liked seeing his humanity shine through in the movie. It made it easier to realize how Ana could truly fall for him and care so much about his well-being despite his quirks. Jamie Dornan played his steely persona with skill and according to all the ladies present, had a very nice butt.

(Now who���s being objectified).

Fifty Shades of Grey was always going to be good for us given our history with the story and its author; but it far exceeded our wildest dreams and we will be seeing it again when it comes to our hometown theater.

Those who don���t like it frankly have higher expectations than could ever be met. Even for those who haven���t read the book (maybe especially for those who haven���t read the book), the movie is a powerhouse of performances that will stick with you long after the lights come up.

We wish to thank E.L. James for her continued generosity as a friend and send more hugs to those who we met in Los Angeles. The weekend was as memorable as it gets!

The other two movies have been greenlit, so we will now eagerly await the completion of these sequels. In the interim, we���ll just have to satisfy ourselves with the DVD release, which we predict (hope) will have an unrated version of the film.

Thank you for reading and enjoy your experience watching Fifty Shades of Grey!

Morgan and Jennifer

Exposure is on sale!

It's award season in Hollywood, so we're celebrating the event by offering our debut novel, Exposure, for $0.99!

This price will only be available for a short time, so be sure to one-click today!

We'd also appreciate if you could share the word with your friends! Please share!

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Exp...

Excerpt from “Love Starts with Z” by Tera Shanley (@terashanley) – Plus Giveaway!

Love Starts with Z

available 2/17/15

Excerpt:

Anger coursed his veins, red and blinding until all he could think about was wrapping his fingers around Colten���s throat. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten, and then ground out, ���If you call her a zombie again, your nose will match Mark���s.���

���Geez, man. You���re so touchy now.���

���He���s got it bad,��� Ben said.

Bad? Nah. He���d liked girls before. It had been a few years since he���d had any kind of steady relationship with one, but bad? So he thought about her more than was maybe healthy. And he worried about her wellbeing. And when people insulted her, he wanted to kill them slowly. Okay, so maybe he did have it worse than he ever had before, but it was Soren. She was different. Not just the way she looked, which enamored him more every time he saw her, but she was kind. Not polite-kind to trick people into liking her, but she was someone who honestly cared about the feelings of others. And she did what she thought was right no matter what anyone else thought of her. She was respectable, beautiful���this gorgeous warrior who had consumed him, mind and body, without any effort at all. And when she fought? She was an artist.

���Hello,��� Colten said, waving his hand in Kaegan���s face.

Irritated, he swatted it away and ducked a low hanging branch.

Synopsis:

Twenty-four years into the Dead outbreak that ended the world, Soren Mitchell sticks out like a sore thumb in the remains of the human race. She’s an anomaly: a hybrid of human and Dead, created by her mother’s genetic immunity. Like her parents, she’s fierce and strong. But despite their hopes for her happiness and safety, and even though she is no real threat to the colony, she has let the humans muzzle her and confine her within the walls of Dead Run River in search of a cure.

When Kaegan Langford stumbles into the colony with an injured friend draped across his shoulders, her world is turned upside down. Intrigued and affected by her, he asks her to come to Empalme, Mexico with him to fight in the war between Deads and humans. It’ll be a long, treacherous journey to the coast, but she’s had all she can take in the colony.

Battles with Deads, betrayal, injury, kidnappings, and a criminal-run train ride stand between them and the war. But in the end, it’s not just the war with the Deads that could be the death of them.

Tera Shanley’s final book in the Dead Rapture series will thrill your heart…and your braaaains.

Buy Links:

Goodreads Link:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24325289-love-starts-with-z?ac=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tera-Shanley/e/B00G1WIIL4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1423148621&sr=8-1

Author Website: http://terashanley.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @TeraShanley

Author Bio:

Tera Shanley writes in sub-genres that stretch from Paranormal Romance, to Historic

Western Romance, to Apocalyptic (zombie) Romance. The common theme? She loves love.

A self-proclaimed bookworm, she was raised in small town Texas and could often be found

decorating a table at the local library. She currently lives in Dallas with her husband and two

young children and when she isn���t busy running around after her family, she���s writing a new

story or devouring a good book. Any spare time is dedicated to chocolate licking, rifle slinging,

zombie slaying, friend hugging, and the great outdoors. For more information about Tera and her

work, visit http://www.terashanley.com.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8b63a9e325/

Jennifer Reviews: Closer and Closer by Jenna Barton (@WriteyJennaB)

The Synopsis:

Dominance and submission. The delicate balance between hurts so good and too hot to handle. They���re not just kinky trends for the members of The Enclave, a tight-knit group gathering in a Gilded Age mansion secluded in the North Carolina mountains.

Come Closer…

For Erin Proctor, life has always been about working hard, creating stability, and succeeding. She plays it safe, watching from a distance. Then she encounters an unpredictable, sensual world she���s always known was there, but didn���t believe she could belong to.

Walt Easton is straightforward and unpretentious, a big, earthy man in possession of himself���and a fierce set of solid leather floggers. Once he and Erin meet, their attraction is undeniable. Walt wants a full relationship, not just fun in the playroom. Their kinky adventures can be negotiated later.

They’ve finally found a relationship that can let them explore who they fully are. But can Walt accept that while he’s in charge in their private lives, when it comes to her job, Erin is the one in charge? Will Erin take the risk of letting down her walls and allowing Walt in all the way?

The biggest risk, after all, isn���t mixing pain and pleasure. It���s finding yourself���in love.

The first book of The Enclave series will bring you Closer to your desire.

My Review:

I have to start this review with the disclaimer that I haven’t read a wide variety of stories that feature BDSM, but when I was offered the opportunity to read Closer and Closer there was just something about the synopsis that told me this book was worth a peek. I agreed to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review and I’ve been mulling over my thoughts on this book for a couple of weeks now.

The story begins with Erin Proctor, a successful and single career woman who has just relocated from California to North Carolina. She does so not only to pursue a promising job opportunity, but also to put some distance between herself and her mother and sister (who have always depended on Erin to be the responsible one). Having secretly possessed a curiosity about the taboo world of BDSM, Erin now finds an opportunity to indulge her interests in a town full of strangers. After being invited by an acquaintance to a *demonstration*, Erin is introduced to Walt Easton at the event.

The attraction between Erin and Walt is sparked almost immediately, but not in the overtly sexual way I would have expected. Erin and Walt genuinely like one another and their friendship forms in a quiet, even sweet way.�� By day, Walt is a responsible and unassuming Park Ranger, but he’s also been an *ahem* active Dominant for most of his adult life. Erin know this and is intrigued by him…

He was recalling last night. I knew it, in another atypical flash of human-focused intuition. Felt it, really, as a plume of heat rolled down my neck.

I cleared my throat. ���Thank you for inviting me. I���m sure it���s unusual, asking someone to your workplace who���s from���well, you know���there?���

He glanced away, turning the brim of his hat through his hand, then gestured toward me.

���I���m glad you came.���

The timbre of his voice never changed, but the volume softened appreciably. Before I could stifle the thought, I wondered what his voice would sound like in the morning, across from me in my bed, or in my ear as his thick thighs rode between mine, behind me as he grasped my hair and drove into me again and again.

Warmth quite unlike anything I���d known spread, from that first shimmer across my neck, to my shoulders, and sparked a fuse traveling straight down my spine.

His mouth twitched slightly, then spread into a disarmingly sweet smile as his eyebrows lifted. A small rumbling chuckle escaped his chest, and then Walt the Park Ranger with matching floggers shocked the hell out of me. His eyes darted toward the parking lot, he looked down, and the tips of his ears flushed.

���I think it���s just us,��� he said, still looking away, and put his ranger���s hat on. ���Want to get goin���?���

“Yes, of course.��� I bristled inwardly at the sound of my own voice: too efficient, mechanical, harsh.

As we walked across the wooden bridge at the trail���s head, I settled into a pace a little slower than his. Practically, his legs were much longer and he would constantly trip over me if I lead. Letting him lead made sense.

An added benefit was a better view of the movement of his legs against his dark olive green pants, and the round, muscular backside that rippled in differing defined landscapes with each step. His pale green ranger���s shirt stretched across his broad back as his arms swung, revealing even more refined muscles. They strained slightly against the short sleeves before continuing on to tanned forearms, scattered with brown hair.

I pushed a damp strand of hair from my neck. Only May and it���s this humid?

On the other side of the spectrum, Walt is a man who has sworn off relationships in favor of play. When he is introduced to Erin, he immediately knows that she is new to the scene; but he also senses there is a deeper yearning brewing within her. Something more than the mere exploration of her deepest sexual fantasies. Walt intuits (correctly) that Erin wants to experiment as a submissive and he offers her careful guidance as she delves more and more into a lifestyle she knows precious little about.�� What I found welcoming about Walt was his concern for Erin’s well-being. He is not an alpha man simply looking to take advantage of a naive woman. Walt values and respects Erin and strives to nurture her burgeoning sexuality.

���So how long have you been in���um, known Cla���clover?���

���How long have I known Claire or how long have I been in the lifestyle?��� He took a long drink from his water bottle. ���Or how long have I been kinky?���

���I don���t know.��� His directness pinned me down, with no easy route to a more comfortable means of discovering everything I wanted to know about him. I wanted to hear his version of this thing���a lifestyle, maybe���he shared with Claire. And I did want to know, not only because I should if what felt like our mutual attraction became something more, but because of him. Already, I liked him. I wanted to know Walt���s story. Maybe all of them.

���Kinky. How long?���

Glancing over at me with a wry half-smile, he laughed softly. ���Straight to the point, huh?���

I shrugged, pulled at a stray peanut and bit into it. ���I suppose. I wonder about things, though.���

���About?���

���About people. I���m curious about how people figure things out. Not just with������ I gestured toward the forest, like it was where I���d find the perfect example of the parts of BDSM I always was curious about. ���That. Being into that.���

���Hey, Erin,��� he said, tipping his shoulder toward mine like a conspirator. ���If you have a hard time saying it, you might want to reconsider giving it a try.���

As I read Closer and Closer, I was completely won over by Erin and Walt. Their relationship may not be defined by convention, but it is wholly real.�� It is emotional and complex, intelligent and sensual. And while all my attention in this review is focused on them, this book also contains a fabulous ensemble cast of characters, each as well-developed and captivating as the two leads. This novel is the first in the new Enclave series by author Jenna Barton, and I’ve been given a few clues by the author as to what comes next.

I’ve thought a lot about this story (and definitely about Walt) over the past few weeks and I’ll be on pins and needles waiting for the forthcoming books! I’ve been spoiled lately with several 5 star reads, and I’ll happily add this story to that list.

Closer and Closer will be released by Omnific Publishing on February 10th, 2015.

You can add it to your Goodreads list or you can follow Jenna Barton’s Amazon page to await the live links.

You can also follow Jenna Barton on social media:

Website�� Goodreads�� Facebook Twitter

Excerpt from Going the Distance by Julianna Keyes (@JuliannaKeyes)

GOING THE DISTANCE

by Julianna Keyes


Add to Goodreads

Buy from Amazon | B&N









Olivia Clarke���s fall from pretty, perfect and popular happened in an instant. With her life in tatters, she impulsively accepts a teaching job in the small city of Lazhou, China. Three months in, she���s ready to admit she made a huge mistake. She doesn���t speak Mandarin, the teachers at her school refuse to include her in anything, and she spends her nights watching counterfeit DVDs in her twin bed. Alone. 



Jarek McLean is a loner. He���s not looking for friends, and he���s definitely not looking for love. The former army interrogator works as a carpenter for a small construction company rebuilding a travel office in Lazhou. When he meets Olivia he knows immediately she���s too wholesome to be his type, but when he discovers the pretty kindergarten teacher is hiding a secret, his inquisitive side rears its nosy head and demands answers.



Olivia isn���t interested in a one-sided interrogation, and makes her position clear: if Jarek wants to ask questions, he���ll have to answer some, too. Jarek���s never let anyone in���not into his apartment, not into his life, certainly not into his heart. But the closer he gets to Olivia, the more he falls for her, and suddenly the man who doesn���t do relationships finds himself in a most unexpected one. When he reluctantly admits that this could be love, he���s faced with the most terrifying question of all: What the hell does he do now?









The wooden door swung open, leaving them with the outer door, composed of a series of thick metal bars, between them. Olivia wore sweatpants, wool socks, and a threadbare white T-shirt with a high school logo straining across her breasts. Her blond hair was pulled up in a messy bun, and she wore no makeup. She looked him up and down, gaze lingering on his peace offering, then she took a deep breath. ���What���s this?��� she asked.



���Let me in.��� Jarek tilted his head so rain water dripped off the ends of his curly hair.



���What do you want?���



���Ritchie told me about your accident.���



���I���m fine.���



���Just open the door.���



She looked ready to argue, then her eyes flitted back to the bags in his hands and she reached gingerly for the keys on the table inside the door, selecting one and twisting it in the lock. She stepped back as he entered, closing the doors behind him, and he stepped out of his shoes and hung his wet coat on a chair. 



���It���s fucking pouring,��� he said, for lack of anything better. ���Where���s your bathroom?���



The apartment was small, just four rooms leading immediately off the main entrance area, and he could see into three of them from where he stood���bedroom, office, and kitchen���so he went into the fourth, found a hand towel, and dried his face and hair. When he emerged, Olivia was peeking into the bags.



���I brought you dinner, in case you hadn���t eaten.���



���I haven���t.���



���What were you doing?���



���Getting ready to watch a movie.���



���Want to eat first?���



She looked him over strangely. ���Sure.���



There were only two chairs at the small table, so she took one and he took the other, peering around the sterile room. White tile floors, white-painted plaster walls, neon tube lights on the ceiling. A few handmade posters with English and Chinese words written on them.



���Do those help?��� Jarek asked, nodding at the posters as he twisted the caps off the bottles of Sprite. 



Olivia peered into both takeout containers. ���As much as knowing the word for ���nose��� can, I suppose. What is this?���



He leaned forward to study the contents of one container; he had ordered it based on the picture, but couldn���t possibly identify it now. ���I���m not sure.���



The second dish was the one they���d had the first night, so Olivia took that and he ate the mystery meal, which wasn���t bad. They barely spoke and she avoided his gaze, though she didn���t look angry. Tired, maybe. But not angry. 



When half her food was gone, Olivia polished off the Sprite and pushed her container away. ���Do you want this? I���m full.���



He���d finished his own meal. ���No. I���m good.���



She stood and took the carton to the narrow fridge that stood in the corner of the room, its only furniture apart from the table. When she closed the door, he was standing behind her. She jumped and clasped a hand to her chest. ���What are you doing?���



���Don���t take this the wrong way,��� he began, ���but take off your shirt.���

Julianna Keyes is a Canadian writer who has lived on both coasts and several places in between. She���s been skydiving, bungee jumping, and white water rafting, but nothing thrills���or terrifies���her as much as the blank page. She has volunteered in Zambia, taught English in China, and dreams of seeing pink dolphins in the Amazon. This is her second book






Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Cover Reveal: Pros & Cons by Sydney Logan (@SydneyALogan)

Sydney Logan is revealing the cover of her upcoming novel, Pros & Cons! She’s also revealing the video book trailer and offering readers the chance to win an advanced copy of the ebook!

Cover by T.M. Franklin
Book Release: February 21, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Publisher: Mountain Media

��


Con artists Jenna York and Ethan Summers always seem to cross paths during their travels around the world. With their partners in tow, the cunning criminals wreak havoc across the globe, stealing from the rich and giving to the richer. While Jenna tries to convince herself that she sees him as nothing more than a professional rival, Ethan finds it a little harder to fight his attraction to the beautiful thief. When tragedy strikes, Jenna and Ethan join forces, but are the stakes too high? Can they escape this last job with their lives���and their hearts���intact?




Book Trailer by Jada D’Lee Designs

As I slip quietly out of the suite and rush toward the elevator, I can���t deny I���m feeling a little better about Vegas.

 

That is, until the elevator doors open.

 

Standing there, leaning against the stainless steel wall with a cocky smile on his face, is the one person I really didn���t want to see this weekend.

 

 

With a miserable groan, I step inside the elevator and furiously stab the button.

 

��

 

���Are you following me, Summers?���

 

 

���I���d follow your dimples anywhere, York.���

 

 

Ethan Summers is infuriatingly charming and handsome. Both assets have proven to be beneficial to his career and detrimental to mine.

 

 

���Well, these dimples just lifted Bradley Jones��� credit card numbers.���

 

 

���Impressive. Although, one might argue that a more superior con artist would be capable of accomplishing such a feat without showing a little skin. Really, Jenna, I���m disappointed.���

 

 

He rarely calls me by my first name. Last names have always been our thing.

 

 

���Were you watching me?���

 

 

���Every heterosexual man in the casino was watching your little performance. Nice legs, by the way.���

 

 

Crap.

 

 

���Not good,��� I mutter.

 

 

���No, but I enjoyed it.���

 

 

Ethan grins as the elevator doors open. I don���t protest when he grabs me by the elbow and leads me toward the nearest exit. It���s not brightly lit, but there���s a very nice bouncer that Ethan greets by name who allows us to walk right out the door and into the starry Nevada night. He doesn���t let go of my arm as we hurry toward a black SUV.

 

 

���Why are you helping me?���

 

 

���You drugged a millionaire and stole his credit card info. I think it���s best we get you out of town.���

 

 

That doesn���t really answer my question, but I can���t argue with his logic.

 

Ethan opens the passenger door and helps me inside.

 

 

���Nice stilettos.���

 

 

I glare at him, and he shoots me a sexy smile before slamming my door.

 

 

It���s really too bad that I hate his guts.

 

 

Ethan Summers and I have crossed paths many times throughout the past couple years. It���s unavoidable, considering we���re two of the finest criminal minds in the world.

 

 

That���s what the news says, anyway.

 

 

���Let me guess,��� Ethan says as he pulls the SUV out onto the highway. ���You used Rohypnol on Jones?���

 

 

I roll my eyes. ���I���m a thief, not a sexual predator.���

 

 

���Well, you obviously slipped something into his drink.���

 

 

���Sleeping pill.���

 

 

Ethan hums his disapproval. I can���t argue with him. Slipping Bradley a sedative is so��amateur.

 

 

���I was desperate. The entire weekend has been a complete waste of time. When did the Viper install dome cams?���

 

 

���A few weeks ago. The casino���s hosting the U.S. Poker Championship next month. Ceiling cams are a requirement.���

 

 

���Super.���

 

 

���I know.���

 

 

���So, if you knew about the cameras, what were you doing at the casino?���

 

 

���Let���s just say a little birdie told me you were hitting the Viper tonight. I had a feeling you might need my assistance.���

 

 

���So you���ve been talking to Abby.���

 

 

He remains silent and keeps his eyes trained on the freeway, giving me the chance to study his profile. Ethan has a mop of unruly dark hair and deep blue eyes that make most girls go weak in the knees.

 

 

Not this girl. Nope.

 

���Like what you see?���

 

 

My face heats. I hate when he catches me ogling him.

 

 

���You���re an ass.���

 

 

He laughs. ���Someday, Jenna, you���re going to stop fighting this attraction between us. I���m really looking forward to that.���


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Amazon bestselling author Sydney Logan holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. She is the author of three novels – Lessons Learned, Mountain Charm, and Soldier On. Sydney has also penned several short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul.

A native of East Tennessee, Sydney enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

Visit her website at��www.sydneylogan.com. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Twenty Random Questions with Morgan and Jenn Locklear.

Morgan Locklear & Jennifer Locklear:

Thanks to Tosha for interviewing us. It was a lot of fun!

Originally posted on Eclectic Muse:

Twenty Random Questions

!. If you were Alice, would you rather stay in Wonderland on the other side of the mirror, or come back to the real world to share your story?
Jenn- I love to travel and I rarely deal with homesickness when I do, so I know there would be a huge temptation to remain in Wonderland. However, there is something to be said for re-connecting with family and friends in order to share such fantastic adventures.
Morgan- I have a feeling that I will be too wasted to find my way back.

2. If you were going to write an article about yourself, what would the headline be?
Jenn-You Should Really Sit Down Before You Read This���
Morgan- Cockeyed Optimist shares unique vision

3. If you were a drink, what would you be? Why?
Jenn-I���m probably well on my way into transforming into a Sailor Jerry Rum���

View original 1,155 more words

Jennifer Reviews: Seven For A Secret by Rumer Haven (@RumerHaven)

The Synopsis:

It���s the year 2000, and twenty-four-year-old Kate moves into a new apartment to find a new state of independence in a new millennium. Almost immediately, she starts crushing on a hot guy who lives in her building. Deciding to take a break from her boyfriend Dexter, Kate believes the only thing now separating her from the fresh object of her sexual fantasies is the thin wall between their neighboring apartments.

A former 1920s hotel, Camden Court has housed many lonely lives over the decades���and is where a number of them have come to die. They’re not all resting in peace, however, including ninety-year-old Olive, who dropped dead in Kate���s apartment and continues to make her presence known.

For Olive has a secret she���s dying to tell. One linking her to the sex, scandal, and sacrifice of a young dreamer named Lon. As the past haunts the present, Kate���s romantic notion that the thrill-of-the-chase beats the reality-after-the-catch unexpectedly entwines her modern-day love life with Lon���s Jazz Age tragedy.

With a little supernatural and a lotta’ razzle-dazzle, Seven for a Secret is where historical fiction meets contemporary rom-com���from the Roaring Twenties when the ���New Woman��� was born, to the modern Noughties when she really came of age.

My Review:

Truthfully speaking, Seven For A Secret is not just one love story, but two. Although both are told simultaneously and are set in the same city of Chicago, they take place 75 years apart from one another.�� One story takes place during the Roaring 20’s and is centered around Lon and Eva. Lon is a man who is attempting to discover his own place in the world, away from the societal expectations of his upbringing.

“Staring down at the floor as he strode deeper down the corridor, Lon lost his focus in observation of the intricate design, step after colorfully tiled step – until his wingtips stubbed against a marble lip rising about an inch from the floor. He looked up to meet the life-sized stone likeness of a courtier wooing a fair maiden above a fountain. The couple was white as purity and forever frozen mere inches from embrace.

“The thrill of the chase,” Lon murmured. “The only thrill there is.”

Lon isn’t looking for love, but finds it anyhow when he attends a party and meets Eva, a young and intelligent woman who immediately captures his eye.

“There was no doubt about it: she was exquisite. Lon knew this not to be a matter of his opinion, but a fact.This beauty had nothing to do with which eye beheld it. It was there, filling all eyes in the same way, no more, no less. She is for everyone.”

In stark contrast is the story of Kate and Dexter, set in the year 2000.�� By all accounts, Kate has found a good man in her work colleague, Dexter. But as their relationship deepens and the pressure mounts for Kate to make a long-term commitment she becomes insistent on setting boundaries by moving out of his condo and into her own studio apartment.

“The music next door had stopped, perhaps already had some time ago while she and Dex had been…what? Making love? Just passing the time? What was it that she’d really wanted when she’d walked out of that Lake Shore condo? Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe as the responsibility for Dexter’s heart crushed down on her own. Absence was only making things foggier so far.”

Kate’s desire to establish some personal distance from Dexter provides some potential complication when she notices a good looking stranger in her new building�� – a man she soon begins to speculate is her next door neighbor.

“Suddenly shy and anxious about what might happen next, she turned to press her palm against the wall behind her. It felt warm, a soothing contrast to her room that had just turned so cold. She imagined Hot Neighbor sitting there with his hand against the wall, too, directly opposite her. What if he’d noticed her before and wanted to get her attention? Maybe seen her around sometime, even if just out his window, and then followed the sound of her footsteps and door slams to trace her to this unit? Kind of stalkerish, but awfully flattering, Kate thought. After all, she was doing the same thing with him.”

The historical love story is dramatic and dark, while the modern contemporary tale is lighter and humorous. At first glance it might be tempting to think there is too much story within one novel, but Rumer Haven balances it all so well.�� Both love stories are compelling, intelligent and heart-warming.�� Haven’s narrative is both poetic and endearing and I quickly found myself admiring the effort and devotion that went into writing this story.�� There were moments in Seven For A Secret when I laughed out loud, shed a few tears and held my breath while I read.

This novel hit all the right spots emotionally for me, and I highly recommend it.��Typically, I’m stingy in doling out 5 star ratings. I only do when I know that a book has made a lasting impression on me and when I know that others will feel the same way once they’ve given the story their time and attention.

Seven For A Secret receives an enthusiastic 5 star rating from me!

I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing what Rumer Haven produces next, which incidentally won’t be long from now. Her next release, Four Somethings and a Sixpence, is coming up on February 3!

You can purchase the ebook or the paperback of Seven For A Secret here:

You can also find Rumer Haven on social media:

Website�� Goodreads�� Facebook Twitter

Excerpt from “Something Wicked” by Carol Oates (@CarolOates) – Plus Giveaway!

Today, we’re both excited to share an excerpt from “Something Wicked” by fellow Omnific Publishing author, Carol Oates. In appreciation and celebration of her new release, Carol is also offering a giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card! Best of luck and enjoy this awesome peek of “Something Wicked”…

SOMETHING WICKED

by Carol Oates

Add to Goodreads

Buy from Amazon | B&N









Infected by the vampire virus on the streets of Dublin in 1886, the search for a cure brought Henry Clayton to London and to the brink of madness. Salvation and friendship arrived in the form of Dougal, an immortal Highlander with a devilish sense of humor and a love of life.



Amidst turmoil in vampire society, Henry returns to modern day Dublin. The Circle, a cult determined to awaken their Celtic blood god, the first vampire, is once again active.



When Henry meets a young American woman who sees past his human pretense, he fears exposure. However, his fear is overshadowed by curiosity. What is the source of the strange energy between them? Why are vampires stalking her? Determined to find answers, Henry takes Ari into his home and under his protection.



As their connection grows, Henry begins to suspect Ari isn’t what she claims to be. Their shared history may hold the answers to his uncontrollable bouts of rage and thirst. Perhaps, even a cure for his wicked blood.









19th century





���It���s not very inventive.��� The Scot caught up to me.



���I beg your pardon.���



���No need for begging, brother, I give it freely.��� He chuckled at his own ridiculous joke. ���The name, The Leather Apron��� He rolled his eyes and waved his fingers by his head in a gesture I felt sure meant to insinuate fright, but came nearer to emulating a fit of some sort. ���Well, aprons don���t exactly instill terror, eh?��� 



I noticed the intensity of his accent fluctuated, indicating he had probably travelled extensively outside his homeland. 



���How about The Ripper������Jack the Ripper���?���



I spared him a sidelong glance in question and he scratched his temple. 



���I knew a man named Jamie once, well hardly more than a boy really, but a big bugger. Legs as thick as tree trunks and a face that looked like his mother dropped him a few times. Anyway, when he swung a sword, sure it���d nearly cut men in two. They called him The Ripper.���



���So why not ���Jamie the Ripper���?���



���Och, we���re in England. A good English name for an English madman.���



I flinched at his insult, but he didn���t appear to notice. ���So what happened to The Ripper?���



���I killed him.��� 



I hummed thoughtfully. ���The Ripper got ripped.���



���So, where are we going?��� enquired my new acquaintance, appearing suddenly anxious for a shift in the direction of our conversation. 



���We are going nowhere,��� I answered flatly.



A weathered preacher stood at the junction of the Whitechapel high street, half-crazed and hollering at the top of his lungs to a rag tag captive audience. He called on them to repent and return to God, lest they be struck down for their sins.



I chuckled darkly. Now I was doing God���s work.



The preacher���s glassy eyes grazed across the two mysterious, beautiful gentlemen passing by his improvised pulpit. He heart stuttered out an uneven beat. By the sound of it, the man would be dead before the week was out���a blockage of some sort, preventing steady blood flow.



���Keep your pretty speeches, old man. Own the salvation of your soul before mine. He has already struck me down and I will rage against His damnation until the heavens burn and He feels the heat of the fire He cast me into.��� The perfect vision of a tiny child���s hand dripping blood fortified my whispered vow, too low for the preacher to hear.



���How do you move?��� The other vampire asked curiously, his eyes narrowed briefly, all joviality suddenly gone.



���I beg your pardon, sir?���



���That weight you wear around your neck like chains.���



I pursed my lips and continued walking. He was persistent���I had to give him that���and almost childlike in his enthusiasm, albeit a naughty child. I couldn���t help wondering what his story was.



With no warning or explanation, I experienced a pressure at my breastbone, as though a hand pressed over my chest. My own covered the curious warmth. I experienced the strangest sensation of being observed, of someone staring at the back of my head. I turned, searching. However, as quickly as it manifested, the sensation vanished and the only thing I felt was the London chill settling deep into my bones.



���I live a good distance west,��� I told the vampire. ���Keep up or I will leave you behind.���



���Nae problem. I���m Dougal, by the way.���

Carol Oates came into the world on Christmas morning, in an elevator. Raised just across the street from the childhood home of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, it was only a matter of time before Carol���s love of all things supernatural would emerge. 



She began experimenting with fiction at school and keeps the notebook containing her first unpublished novel in her desk drawer. Over three decades later, all her stories still begin life scrawled on paper. 



When not writing, Carol can be found exploring history, old buildings, castles, and tombs.

Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway