Books You'll Love from Books We Love

Check out the New Trailer for Flick by Keira des Anges

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Leanna Matthews enjoys flying below the radar. She does well in school, has a few close friends and hides the fact she's an astral-traveling telekinetic. But there's no escaping her creepy dreams or Simora, the bizarre little spirit lady, that suddenly pops out of nowhere to warn her against keeping secrets and predicts an encounter with a sinister evil. For the first time in forever someone...or something...is on to her.

But life turns around when Leanna meets Piper one sunny afternoon. She's inexplicably drawn to him, almost as if she's been waiting for him to come. Forbidden to have a boyfriend Leanna throws caution to the wind, lying to her family and friends to be with him, while ignoring Simora's ominous message.

Yet Piper has a secret of his own. He is on a mission and Leanna, unwittingly, is the key.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8MW7EE

New 5 Star Review for Hurricane House by Sandy Semerad

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Still grieving the death of her fiancé, Maeva Larson vacations on Paradise Isle, Florida, “the luckiest fishing village in the world,” where she finds the dead body of Miss Florida, Tara Baxter, floating in the Gulf. The cause of death is uncertain, and when a hurricane blows ashore, another woman is found dead and two other women are reported missing. As a catastrophe insurance investigator, Maeva knows the storm has destroyed precious clues, but she thinks her CAT credentials will allow her to find out what happened to these women.

Sean Redmond, acclaimed mystery writer and Paradise Isle resident, pursues Maeva from the first moment they meet. She tries to resist him, but then succumbs to his charm, until she reads a section of his latest manuscript, which is too close to the truth to be fiction. Uncertain of Sean, yet hoping he is not a murderer, she follows the clues from a crystal necklace, a hitchhiker, who may have seen the killer, and a black dog named Onyx. No doubt this dog possesses special powers and Maeva decides to trust Onyx’s instincts while risking her own life.

"Sandy Semerad is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. After Mardi Gravestone, I'm so glad she stayed with that little paranormal twist in Hurricane House. The mystery, intrigue and romance is as good as any "Criminal Minds" or "Law & Order" episode, but the addition of Onyx, the psychic dog was a brilliant bonus for me. Semerad stayed within the sphere of physical science to solve the crimes, as all good murder mysteries do, but she added a suspicious romantic element to spice the story up to perfection. Great read. Try it, you'll like it." ~ 5 Stars, DS / Atlanta Former CNN anchor and NBC White House reporter

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CIXM8Q6

Now Available: The Heart Leads Home by Sydell Voeller

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Sarah Pendleton, a first grade teacher in Portland, Oregon, feels duty-bound as she returns to her hometown of Mistletoe Valley--and to her conflicted past. While growing up in her small, rural community Sarah lived with her grandparents, who served their community well--especially her grandfather, a pastor. Yet Sarah despised being the “perfect preacher’s kid” in a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. Rebellious, she fell for a stereotypical “bad boy” during high school and after graduation, they married. When they learned she was pregnant, he left her for parts unknown. Unable to support the baby, Sarah gave her up for adoption, yet ever since, guilt has consumed her. She believes she doesn’t deserve to have a second chance at being a mother again.

Now a decade later, she is the sole inheritor of her grandparents’ estate. She must decide whether to sell the property, or make the painful choice of staying in a town where folks remember her rebellious past.

She meets the strikingly handsome real estate agent Rich Stevens. He also works as a youth pastor at the church where her grandfather had served. Her attraction to Rich is immediate and powerful, but she’s faced with not one, but two prickly thorns: He is a grieving widower, and his 8-year-old daughter, Carly, is grieving too. He believes that there can never be another woman in his life, and he can succeed in raising his daughter alone.

Sarah grapples with her own push-pull feelings for Rich. Should she hire him to sell her grandparents’ property, knowing full well he’s more than just a business acquaintance to her? Should she stay in Mistletoe Valley, or go back to her job in Portland? The truth is, if she were to fall in love with him, a man of the collar, she’d be right back to where she started as a child—struggling in vain to live up to others’ expectations. Worse, Rich’s daughter, Carly, is the embodiment of the baby she left behind, and if Sarah allows herself to get too close to Carly, that would only complicate her feelings for Rich.

Can Sarah and Rich overcome their personal demons and making a lasting commitment to each other? Can the two of them—plus Carly--become a forever family?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DFAVVAK

Congratulations to BWL's Latest Winner Marsha Galinsky

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Marsha was the lucky Spring Fling winner and chose a Kindle Paperwhile eReader, which is winging its way to her now.

Thanks for entering Marsha, and congratulations from Books We Love!

Find our newest contest here, with your chance to win!

Sizzling Summer Sweepstakes

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Stock your virtual shelves with spectacular summer reading! Every week from June 15 to September 15 we’ll draw one name to receive his or her choice of any Books We Love eBook.

Weekly winners announced on our blogs.

We’ll give away three gourmet baskets similar to the one pictured below on July 15, August 15 and Sept 15.

Basket winners announced in our newsletter.

Enter once a week for your chance to win.

Find the entry form here and make sure you are a subscriber to our newsletter- only subscribers can win. The newsletter comes out once a month, no spam, just new releases and contest news.

Good Luck and Happy Summer from Books We Love!

Last chance to win an eReader in Books We Love's Spring Fling

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

At Books We Love we're celebrating Spring by giving away an eBook Reader. On June 15th one lucky winner will receive his or her choice of the pictured readers below.

Kindle Paperwhite Nook Simple Touch Kobo Touch

All winners must be newsletter subscribers.
Find the entry forms here, and good luck!

http://bookswelove.net/contest.php

Now Available: Born into Love by Catherine La Claire

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Diego Castilla, former conquistador and present day vampire faces off against a vengeful sorcerer. To get Diego’s help in finding an ancient tomb, the sorcerer poisons Mercedes Thomas, a museum intern and the mortal love of Diego. To keep her alive, he must comply with his enemy’s demands or she will not receive a daily antidote.

Diego is forced to tell Mercedes the truth that he is a vampire before he is ready. Mercedes has fallen in love with him but hearing the truth scares her and she tries to flee only to discover it is too late. They’ve become pawns in an Amazonian treasure hunt unaware that the sorcerer searches for a magical knife capable of great healing and tremendous evil.

Amid earthquakes, danger and weakness from fighting the poison, Mercedes puts aside her distrust and works with Diego to take on the sorcerer and his flunkies. As their situation worsens they come to lean on each other.

But will their efforts be enough to capture their enemies, rescue precious artifacts and defeat the sorcerer turned vampire?

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Into-Love-ebook/dp/B00DCEOY4Y/

Now Available: Nightingale by Juliet Waldron

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Count Maximilian discovers Klara in a Nightingale Cage, an orphanage for the abandoned children of musicians. He educates her, fosters her remarkable vocal talent and initiates her into the art of love, creating the perfect mistress. The Count controls every aspect of Klara’s life, until fate, in the form of handsome Akos Almassy, takes a hand. The tall, dark Magyar violinist can make beautiful music and healing potions, too, but can he rescue Klara from the Count—and live?

“Nightingale captures both the glamour and corruption of Mozart’s Vienna, where the pathway to fame on the operatic stage was not one that could be trodden in innocence.” ~ Sara B. Camilli, Reviewer

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8MEL8E

Now Available: Flick by Keira des Anges

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Yet Piper has a secret of his own. He is on a mission and Leanna, unwittingly, is the key.

"The main character in this book seems to have everything but she hides a secret. She has telekinetic abilities that she hides from everyone because she is afraid of being labeled a freak. During the summer, she meets a really cute boy which brings her on a collision course with confronting a horrible evil.

The characters are fun, there are some really touching scenes and the young lady has to deal with some really adult situations. She doesn't always make the right choices but she learns from her mistakes.

The characters are fun to read about and easy to connect with. It's an enjoyable read." ~ 5 Stars, Roxanne Nolan

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D8MW7EE

Excerpt from Chill Waters by Joan Hall Hovey

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

CHILL WATERS

Bloody Dagger Award Winner

WHAT IF EVIL VISITED THE ONE PLACE WHERE YOU FEEL THE MOST SAFE?

Following the breakup of her marriage, Rachael retreats to the old beachhouse in Jenny's Cove, where she once lived with her grandmother. It is the one place where she had always felt safe and loved. Devasted and lost, Rachael longs for the simplicity of her childhood.

But Jenny’s Cove has changed. From the moment of Rachael’s arrival, a man watches. He has already killed, and mercilessly will do so again. Soon Rachael becomes a target for a vicious predator whose own dark and twisted past forms a deadly bond between them.

And sets her on a collision course with a crazed killer.

"...Joan Hall Hovey is a female Stephen King... a stunning, multi-layered, modern-day gothic, told with the unforgettable style and grace of a true master of suspense..." Rendezvous Magazine

"...a taut thriller, woven with uncanny magic..." Cindy Penn, WordWeaving.com

“... a chilling hold-your-breath novel..." Evelyn Gale, All About Murder Reviews

Excerpt:

It’s like a lion at the door;

And when the door begins to crack,

It’s like a stick across your back;

And when your back begins to smart,

It’s like a penknife in your heart;

And when your heart begins to bleed

You’re dead, and dead, and dead, indeed.

—Anonymous; Nursery Rhyme

One

He stood near the ancient gnarled apple tree that for years now had produced only sour, wizened apples, waiting for her. The hot thick air hummed with the chirping of crickets. Behind him, an occasional fat June bug bumped against the screen door, drawn by the night-light. Now and then a car passed by, seeming only to emphasize his sense of aloneness. Not much traffic on Elder Avenue since they built the thruway.

Three houses down, Nealey’s old black lab set to barking excitedly at something – a raccoon scavenging in a garbage can, most likely, but it could just as well be shadows. The mutt had a game leg and was as deaf as his mother’s turquoise plastic crucifix that hung on the wall above the TV. The old man oughta have him done away with, put the damn thing out of its misery. Maybe I’ll do it for him one of these days, he thought, a grin playing at one corner of his cruel mouth. As he retrieved the pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, he heard Nealey’s door open, heard the old man’s low, gravelly voice call the dog inside.

He gazed up at the starry sky, grin fading as he envisioned Marie and that hotshot kid in the fruity white blazer slow dancing under these very stars. Bodies molded together, the kid’s hands moving over her, groping… his breath hot in her ear…

With a muttered curse, he shook his head as if to banish the image, checked an impulse to crush the pack of cigarettes in his hand. Instead, he struck a match against the tree, but his hand was unsteady and it took a few tries before he managed to get it lit. Leaning his back against the tree he closed his eyes. The rough bark of the tree stabbed like jagged stone through his thin nylon jacket. He sucked smoke into his lungs, exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself.

He wasn’t usually a heavy smoker, but four hours later, when he finally heard the car drive up, a small mound of butts had accumulated beside him on the ground.

With slow deliberation, he mashed this latest one out too, and rose to his feet. Although stiff from sitting, at the same time a power born of rage surged through his veins like electricity.

Music drifted through the open, car window – a soppy Manilou ballad about a girl named Mandy. Above the music, her laugh floated to him, high and lilting as wind chimes. Mocking him. The flirtatious note in her laugh made his throat tighten, his hands curl into fists at his sides. But it was the maddeningly long silence that followed, while the music went on playing, that made him want to fly at them, yank them both out of the car and beat that scummy kid with her until he had to crawl home through his own blood. He wanted to do it. He saw himself doing it.

It took all his will to remain where he was.

At last she got out of the car. He could see the pale flair of her skirt through the leaves.

“Night, Ricky. I had a really nice time.”

“Yeah, me too. Okay if I call you tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

“You wanna go to a movie? Christine’s playing at the Capital.”

“Sounds great.”

The car door closed with a solid thunk. The kid’s old man was a dentist; the car was a graduation present.

As Marie turned away and started up the path toward him, the kid gunned the motor and drove off, taillights glowing like twin rockets, swiftly disappearing into the night.

Now the only sounds were the crickets and the soft click of her shoes on the cement walk. Yet she looked to be almost floating toward him, her white, strapless dress blue in the moonlight.

When she left the house tonight, her black glossy hair had been swept up into a satiny swirl, a few wispy curls trailing down past her ears; now it was messed up. The muscle in his jaw ticked as he moved deeper into the shadows.

Her pearl drop earrings swayed lightly above her bare shoulders as she walked. He knew how smooth those shoulders would feel beneath his hands because he’d touched them before. He had touched her. Had tasted the warm, throbbing hollow of her traitorous throat, crushed her mouth beneath his own, sometimes to silence her crying.

Even now, he could taste her salty tears on his tongue.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045Y2F5U/

Excerpt from Listen to the Shadows by Joan Hall Hovey

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

LISTEN TO THE SHADOWS

SOMEONE WAS STALKING HER. NOW HE'S FOUND HER...

When artist Katie Summers emerged from a four-day coma, she remembered all too vividly the horror of that night - the terrifying dead eyes that had stared back at her in the rear view mirror, causing her to crash her car. But nobody believed her. Even the enigmatic and disturbingly attractive psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Shea, implied that she had made the whole thing up. Or dreamed it.

Released from the hospital, still weak from her ordeal, Katie took a taxi to her remote farmhouse on Black Lake. Darkness had already fallen. There was only the wind in the trees to greet her...and the cold and empty house.

But the house was not quite empty. Something awaited her, upstairs in her bedroom. Something with cold, dead eyes...

"...a work so accomplished, so fluid and so suspenseful it is difficult to believe it really is a first novel!"-Felix Griffin, Rave Reviews, NY

"... a chilling tale of revenge, murder and madness..." Jill M. Smith, Rave Reviews, N.Y.

"... Hovey's scenes focusing on this deranged psychopath are razor sharp, and one is reminded of author Ruth Rendell." Evening Times Globe, Saint John, NB

Prologue

Beneath his attic room, the house slept.

Stealthily, he made his way along the darkened hallway, stopping at a door with green, peeling paint, and heard the familiar scraping of wood on linoleum as the door opened inward. His callused, blunt fingers groped along the inside wall to his left, found the switch and flicked it on. Instantly, the cramped space was washed in harsh light from the single bulb hanging from the ceiling. A few pieces of scarred, make-do furniture included a single cot covered by a worn-thin, gray army blanket drawn so smooth and taut he could have bounced a quarter from its center. Though shabby, the room was painstakingly neat.

Wearing an air of contained excitement, he strode across the room to the calendar, which hung from the wall like a window-blind. It advertised A & R Realty in black lettering. Peeling back the months of September and October, he took the pen clipped to his shirt pocket, and drew a red circle around the “5” in the month of November. The fifth fell on a Sunday. Not that it mattered. The man regarded the carefully drawn circle for a few seconds then dropped the pages, letting them whisper back in to place. He moved to a table with rickety legs that managed to support his double hotplate and also served as his dining table. He opened the table’s single drawer, and from beneath a red, plastic flatware tray that held only a steak knife, fork, spoon, can-opener and butcher knife, he withdrew a familiar, soiled and yellowing envelope. His hand trembled as he shook the picture from the envelope.

As he had for many months now, with almost religious dedication, he studied her features, letting his gaze travel over her long, shapely body. She wore shorts and a halter-top. Long brown hair blew in the breeze. She smiled out at him in open invitation, almond shaped eyes crinkling a little at the corners. Her feet were bare.

The wait was over. Finally. Triumph raced through him, settled like molten lava in his loins. He welcomed the almost painful arousal. Katie Summers. His patience would be rewarded at last. The debt would be collected.

On November fifth. The day he would kill her.

His eyes lowered to the butcher knife in the drawer, and he reached in and picked it up. He gripped the black wooden handle, liking the feel—the heft of it. Slowly, thoughtfully, he ran the thumb and forefinger of his left hand over the flat of the blade. Up and down, up and down. Stroking, stroking, until gradually a dull film crept over his eyes. Abruptly the rhythmic movement of his hand stopped. His eyes cleared. He tossed the knife back into the drawer where it clattered to silence.

No. That was not the way he would do it. It felt wrong. And everything must be exactly right. He’d waited a long time. As his gaze returned to the girl in the photograph, inspiration flashed in his mind. Yes, there was a much better way. A perfect way. A slow smile spread across his features—one that entirely missed his pale, cold eyes.

Ah, yes, Katie Summers, he thought. You will most definitely be worth the wait.

Chapter 1

Katie Summers breathed in the tangy salt-sea air that wafted in through the screened windows of the Surfside Restaurant to blend with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

Outside the glass upper section of her window, she could see as white gulls dipped and soared, now gliding on a swift current of air, their free spirits causing Katie a moment of envy. On the horizon, setting October sun, a great orange disc, slid slowly into the sea, streaking the blue sky with spectacular mauves, pinks and gold, cutting a red-bronze path across the water. The scene took Katie’s breath. She almost wished she’d brought her paints and easel. She would come here by herself sometime before winter set in, find a perfect vantage point, and paint to her heart’s content.

Across from her, Drake Devlin said, “I take it you approve.”

It both surprised and touched her to see the anxious expression on Drake’s boyishly handsome face. “Approve?” she said, keeping her tone deliberately light. “A woman would have to be totally without romance in her soul not to appreciate all this.” Teasing, she added, “The view—the champagne…” She grinned and sipped her wine. The bubbles tickled her nose. Looking at Drake over the rim of her glass, she decided she rather liked the smattering of freckles across his tanned cheeks. Maybe partly because she knew they came not from lounging on a sandy beach somewhere, but from long, hot days of toiling on his father’s farm.

“For someone who’s got his heart set on becoming a lawyer, Drake Devlin, you are an incredibly romantic man.”

“Someone tell you lawyers aren’t romantic?”

Katie smiled.

Drake drew forward in his chair, his gaze holding Katie’s with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. “You inspire me, lady,” he said softly, and clinked his glass against hers. “Here’s to inspiration.”

An innocent enough toast, and Katie drank to it. Yet she felt as if the air in the room had thinned slightly; she had the uneasy sensation of going too fast, and in a direction she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to travel. Her hand moved to the frilly collar of her gold crepe blouse.

She found herself wishing for a cigarette; it would give her something to do with her hands. But she had given up that increasingly unpopular habit more than two years ago.

Returning her attention to the view outside her window, Katie began to get second thoughts about the wisdom of finally agreeing to a dinner date with Drake. Had she made a mistake?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00466HZPC

Excerpt from Defective by Joan Hall Hovey

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:49:00 +0000

Defective

A Novella by Joan Hall Hovey

Therapist Melanie Snow is driving to her office when her Honda is struck by a dark-colored van and sent spinning into a ditch, where it catches fire. The driver never stops. A passerby pulls Melanie from the car just seconds before it explodes.

Waking from the coma nine days later, she is devastated to find she is blind.

As Melanie struggles to cope with her new reality, life as a blind woman, her fragile state of mind is further threatened by a madman who is stalking and strangling disabled women. The first two victims were mentally challenged and Detective Matt O’Leary, who carries a torch for Melanie, (even though Melanie is engaged to someone else) tells himself she is not the killer’s targeted prey. But then a woman who lost a leg to cancer is murdered, and another physically disabled woman is stalked. Even with a whole town in terror, Melanie refuses to live her life in fear and reopens her practice in the basement of her home. She has a living to earn.

And Detective Matt O’Leary must find a way to keep Melanie safe until the monster is caught. But how? Her door is now open to the public and the killer can just walk through anytime he chooses.

And he does.

Chapter 1

The woman's voice reached down to her as if filtered up through deep bracken-green water, reminding her of when she was a little girl and had dived off the diving board at Shadow Lake and the voices above her would sound like that, all thick and gurgly in her ears. She felt herself rising to the surface, pins and needles of hurt prickling every inch of her body. Was she dreaming?

The words grew more distinct: "Melanie? Melanie Snow. Wake up, dear," said the irritating voice. "Open your eyes."

Someone was calling to her. Trying to wrench her from this warm, dark womb of sleep. No, leave me alone, please. All she wanted was to sink back down into that soft place again, to just sleep and sleep, away from the hurt.

"Ms. Snow," the voice said again.

Every inch of her body throbbed with pain. She heard a moan and it took a moment to realize it came from her own parched lips. Why wouldn't the woman let her be? Let her sink back down into that merciful cradle of sleep. But it was not to be.

"Melanie, open your eyes now. Wake up. The doctor is on his way to see you." There was a note of excitement in the girl's voice when she asked, “Mr. Snow, are you sure you saw her eyes open?"

Daddy? Daddy was here?

"Yes, nurse. I'm positive. My little girl was born with those long smoky lashes and I saw them flutter and her eyes open. She looked right at me," he said, his voice breaking. "And then they closed again."

Why was her father crying? But like he was happy too! What happened? He had called the woman nurse. She must be in a hospital. Yes, that made sense. Her mouth tasted of chemicals and medicinal smells filled her nasal passages and coated her tongue. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt as if someone had glued them shut. She tried again. Her eyelids parted, mere slits, seeing nothing. Why doesn't daddy put the nightlight on? He knows I don't like the dark.

"Daddy...?" The word came out in a croak, a rusted voice, unused, scraping the walls of her throat like sandpaper. "Is Mom here?"

She heard the intake of her father's sob, felt the comforting weight of his big warm hand on her shoulder. "Your mom's gone, baby. She died a long time ago. You were just twelve. Don't you remember?"

"Not to worry, Mr. Snow," the nurse said gently. "A little memory glitch is all. She's been in a coma for five days now, it's to be expected. Could you let me in there for just a minute, Mr. Snow? Thanks."

There was the faint whisper of fabric brushing against fabric. Then the nurse said, "Melanie, you've been in a car accident and you're at St. Bart's General Hospital. Do you know what year it is?"

She apparently replied correctly. "Very good," the woman said. "What city do you live in?

"Evansdale."

"Excellent. I'm Nurse Evans, Melanie. Lois Evans."

She got her to make a fist and then wiggle her toes. She ran a hand back and forth past her eyes but only Ted Snow witnessed it.

She took Melanie’s pulse. Her fingers felt light and soothing on her wrist.

"Excellent,” the nurse said. “I'm going to check your eyes now.” Melanie heard a soft click close to her face, felt the slight warmth on her skin, and the milky grey at the outer corner of her right eye grew brighter. Another click and the brightness faded.

"Are you feeling any discomfort? Pain?"

Yes," she half-whispered. "Like I got beat up." She'd been in a coma, the nurse had said. A car accident.

Melanie blinked her eyes and tried to focus them, but even on opening them wider, she saw nothing, only a blackish-grey, like peering through a wall of dense fog. Her father was in the room. Why couldn't she see him or the nurse?

"Would someone turn on a light, please," she begged.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO81XAW

New Interview with author Joan Hall Hovey

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

As well as penning Award-winning suspense novels including The Abduction of Mary Rose, Night Corridor, Chill Waters, Nowhere To Hide and Listen to the Shadows, Joan Hall Hovey's articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Reader, Atlantic Advocate, The Toronto Star, Mystery Scene, True Confessions, Home Life magazine, Seek and various other magazines and newspapers. Her short story, “Dark Reunion” was selected for the Anthology, Investigating Women, published by Simon & Pierre.

Joan also tutors with Winghill Writing School and is a Voice Over pro, narrating books and scripts. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada with her husband Mel and dog, Scamp.

She is currently working on her latest suspense novel. Explore Joan's Personal Site by Clicking the Link Below

Joan Hall Hovey

BWL: Why did you choose the genre you write in? Is it your favorite to read, or another reason?

JHH: I'm not sure I chose the genre of suspense as much as it chose me. I've always loved scary moves and stories growing up. I have a fascination with the dark side of humanity and like to explore it in my novels. I also have many fears and I suppose weaving them into stories, giving those fears to my characters, is a way of dealing with them in the real world. Cheaper than therapy which I would have to pay for rather than getting paid.

BWL: Describe yourself using 5 words.

JHH: Compassiionate. Nostalgic for the forties and fifties. Sometimes overly sensitive. A tad reclusive. Hard working, and at the same time, a procrastinator..

BWL: What might readers be surprised to learn about you?

JHH: Perhaps, like a lot of writers, that I'm very shy. I don't do well at cocktail parties but love talking to people one on one. Aside from that, I enjoy giving talks about writing at our library or bookstore, because I forget myself in my enthusiasm for my subject. There are so many people who aspire to be writers and if I can help, that's exciting for me..

BWL: What was your favorite book as a child or young adult?

JHH: Jane Eyre. That hasn't changed. Even after 150 years, the passion in her words rises from the pages and draws the reader in. You can feel her desperate longing for Edward as she hears him calling her name across the windy moors.

BWL: What super power would you like to have and how would you use it?

JHH: It would be a totally selfish use. I would like to have the power to open a door into the past and revisit old places where I grew up that are long gone, or have changed forever. Especially the house where my grandmother lived. I would climb the stairs to her attic rooms where she painted her wonderful pictures.. She would smile and welcome me.

BWL: If you could fix one problem in the world what would it be?

JHH: I would make it possible for people to see the other person's (country's) point of view as clearly as they see and understand their own. I think understanding is the key to having less hatred and hostility in the world.

BWL: If you could go back in time for one day, which time period would you like to visit?

JHH: The 1950s. Not because it was an easy time, but it was a time of innocence in many ways. But I wonder if one day wouldn't remind me how good we've got it today.

BWL: Choose one person, living or dead, you'd like to share a meal with.

JHH: Charlotte Bronte. She was a passionate woman, intelligent, and driven to succeed. She accomplished so much in her short life, with few of the tools we writers have today. She dealt with so much sickness in her family, including her own, and cared for her father until her own death at 39. A tragic life in many ways, yet a triump of the human spirit.

BWL: Name one thing you'd change about yourself if you could.

JHH: I'd be more out-going. But then maybe I wouldn't be a writer and that's a part of who I am. So I guess I wouldn't change anything, just continue to evolve into the best person I can be.

BWL: What's one genre that interests you but you've never tried to write?

JHH: Westerns, maybe because my father loved them. I can still see him sitting in his favorite stuffed and worn chair, paperback open. The cover would portray a man in his cowboy hat with his guns drawn - or sitting on his horse, or something else in the same theme. He liked to tell me that when the hospital told him I had been born (men didn't go into the delivery room with their wives back then) he'd been reading Zane Grey's "Riders of the Purple Sage" and in his excitement he threw the book across the room and never found it again.. But then my dad was a pretty good storyteller too.

BWL: Thanks Joan!

Find all of Joan's Books We Love titles at:

http://bookswelove.net/joanhallhovey.php

Please stop back over the next few days to enjoy some excerpts of her work!

Now Available: Culture Shock by Ginger Simpson

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:18:00 +0000

Naïve, country girl, Cynthia Freitas, moves to the big city with high hopes, but her starting salary barely makes rent in a run-down tenement. Newspaper headlines warn of a serial killer in the neighborhood, and the article grabs her attention when she recognizes the victims bear a striking resemblance to her. Alex Carlyle is assigned to assist detectives in one of the toughest cases he’s ever experienced as a cop. Despondent over a recent break-up with his fiancé, he buries himself in his work until he meets the cute new tenant next door who gives him something else to think about except kidnap and murder. The aftermath of their first “jolting” kiss places the burden on Cynthia to solve Alex’s case and keep him from potentially becoming the next victim.

Previously published as Beside Myself

A fun, sometimes tongue-in-cheek tale, cleverly written so that the reader is never confused as to who is who and in which body--sounds complicated just explaining it, but Ginger Simpson was on the ball. Excellent, thoroughly enjoying…was fun to read. Four Cats from Wild Child Publishing

…I had to keep a tissue handy to wipe away the tears. This is one of the most entertaining suspense novels that I have ever read. 5 Cups from Coffee Time

…A truly enjoyable read that will keep you reading the whole way through. This story not only had a great suspenseful plot that kept me intrigued, it also had some really great humor. When Alex was learning to walk in heels and put on make-up, I was laughing so hard brought tears to my eyes. Ginger Simpson has done a remarkable job in creating a story that I would highly recommend. 4.5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D6W5U72

5 Stars for The Coven by Gail Roughton

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000

The Coven

War-N-Wit, Inc. Book 3

Daytona Bike Week. Biker’s paradise. The perfect place for Chad and Ariel Garrett to take a few days off and relax with Chad’s buddy Spike and Ariel’s little sister Stacy. But nothing ever goes as planned with that magical duo. Trouble just stalks them like a black cat. Maybe because a black cat is stalking them. A missing agent riding with an outlaw biker gang, a call from Chad’s past, and War-N-Wit, Inc.’s riding again. On Harleys!

"Fantastic, Exciting, Enjoyable, terrific!!! The Coven is a thrill ride from beginning to end with fun and romance in the middle. This is a great series, can't wait for more....." ` 5 Stars, Shymaiden 32

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C6QUK38

His Dark Enchantress by Victoria Chatham

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 11:48:00 +0000

Knowing a secret from her past may catch up with her, Emmaline Devereux is horrified when her grandfather insists she spend a season in London. But he is dying and wants nothing more than for Emmaline to find herself a husband and so secure her future.

Lucius, Earl of Avondale, is intrigued by the bright, beautiful young woman who arrives at his door. He is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding her, even if it means entering into a marriage of convenience he doesn't want.

When Emmaline is abducted and the truth of her past is revealed, will it tear them apart? Or will the consequence of their convenient marriage be a love that forgives all?

"This book kept my interest from the beginning to the end. The characters were very likeable. I felt script incorporated the heroine being a spy in a believable way for the time period. I would say the romance would be on the sweet side which I like. Those who like a great historical sweet romance, I believe will enjoy this book." ~ 5 Stars, Lady A, Amazon Reader and Verified Purchase

"Sweet story likable characters. She wove a nice story along with romance. I liked that the story didn't end too quickly. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys regency novels." ~ 4 Stars, Elizabeth, Amazon Reader

"This is the first time to read this author. I loved this book!! After the first 30 pages, I was hooked. A great lovers read... " 5 Stars, Michelle M. Martin, Amazon Reader

"I really enjoyed the way the book grabs your attention from the beginning and makes you want to read it all in one sitting (which I did). Super fun characters and I was laughing often. Loved it!" ~ Kitnapper, Amazon Reader and Verified Purchase

http://www.amazon.com/Enchantress-Books-Regency-Romance-ebook/dp/B00BOW42QG

I Hitched a Ride Into Hell by Joan Hall Hovey

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Thu, 30 May 2013 11:09:00 +0000

A Young Adult Novelette by Joan Hall Hovey

All we wanted to do was hitchhike across Canada before we got into the college grind – get to know our country. Everyone said travelling was educational and my best friend Shirley and I thought it would be fun and exciting to go off on our own. Neither of us expected the nightmare it would turn out to be.

"…Ms. Hovey's talent in creating characters is so real, you feel their emotions and their fears. You want to yell at them to warn of the danger . . . and you do! The best suspense writer I've ever read!
Beth Anderson, Author of Raven Talks back

"...Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King come to mind, but JOAN HALL HOVEY is in a Class by herself!…"
J.D. Michael Phelps, Author of My Fugitive, David Janssen

"…CANADIAN MISTRESS OF SUSPENSE…The author has a remarkable ability to turn up the heat on the suspense… great characterizations and dialogue…" James Anderson, author of Deadline

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CF48ZY2

War-time Romance in honor of the U.S. Memorial Day Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Mon, 27 May 2013 19:37:00 +0000

Time Invested by Ginger Simpson

Previously published as Tender Return

Why won’t Meagan Murphy’s father allow her to date anyone in uniform? He must have reasons he hasn’t shared, but contrary to Daddy’s rules, Meg meets Ryan Cullen while volunteering at the USO and throws caution to the wind. Ryan only has a short time before his unit ships out, and Meagan intends to make the most of the time they have left together. His parting gift is a ring on her finger and a request that she wait for him to return. Will he make it home to ask permission for her hand. . .or are all those nightly radio newscasts about mounting casualties warning her to prepare for the worst?

~ Find this title here

Daring Masquerade by Margaret Tanner

By the time Ross Calvert discovers Harry Martin is in fact Harriet Martin she has fallen in love with him. Realizing she has failed in her final effort to protect her shell-shocked brother, she puts a desperate proposition to Ross. Marry her and she will give him an heir.

Ross accepts. However, he is tormented by the betrayal of his former fiancée Virginia. On his honeymoon he meets her again and is still infatuated. With the army recalling him to the trenches of France, he faces a terrible dilemma. Taste Virginia’s passion before he marches off to war, or keep his marriage vows to Harry.

"Margaret Tanner writes awe inspiring descriptions of Australia’s landscapes along with horrifyingly realistic descriptions of the carnage and misery in Europe during World War I that take the reader on an emotional journey that makes her feel as if she is right there in the moment. Ms. Tanner also creates some breathtaking love scenes far from “Edwardian morality and war” that are “pure magic”. These scenes accentuate the emergence of a soul mate, consuming love that gives super strength and courage during the somber, troubled times in which Harriet and Ross carve out a life for themselves.

The antagonists are so vividly portrayed the reader can almost feel the meanness in them—no redeeming qualities--just evil use of social position and power to aggrandize themselves and subjugate others." ~ 5 Books, Camellia, LASR

~ Find this title here

We Never Said I Love You by Margaret Tanner

Margaret Tanner's We Never Said I Love You is Book 1 in the Love In Small Packages series of book priced at under $1.00 and published by Books We Love.

Wounded soldier, Adrian Bancroft, has a whirlwind romance with his nurse. A foolish misunderstanding leads to a heated argument and he and Julie part in bitterness.

With the black clouds of war hovering overhead, he returns to the hospital to sort things out with the woman he loves, but Julie has been banished because she is pregnant. Amidst the chaos of wartime London, he begins a desperate search for her.

~ Find this title here

Make Love Not War by Margaret Tanner

Previously published as Cardinal Sin

Make love, not war was the catch cry of the 1960's. Against a background of anti-war demonstrations, hippies and free love, Caroline's life is in turmoil. Her soldier brother is on his way to the jungles of Vietnam. She discovers she is pregnant with her wealthy boss' baby, and her draft dodger friend is on the run and needs her help.

~ Find this title here

Now Available: China Blue by Kat Attalla

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

He is haunted by a mistake he can’t forget.

In Ryan McKenna’s rookie year on the police force, he made an error in judgment that nearly cost a teenaged girl her life. He quit the force, spent half a decade living life from the bottom of a bottle and trying to forget the past. Eventually he sobered up, became a private investigator and worked to build a successful security business. But through the years he never forgot the girl with the China Blue eyes.

She is haunted by a past she can’t remember.

When she was fifteen, Kayla woke from a coma with no recollection of the brutal attack that had landed her in the hospital. After three years in a state orphanage, she went to a community college in Upstate New York and never returned to the City. She supports herself as an artist but her troubling images reflect the awful memories locked in her mind.

Together, they must work to unlock the past.

When the man who attacked Kayla is released from prison, Ryan tracks her down to warn her. But Kayla still suffers from amnesia. To keep her safe, he insinuates himself into her life. But he didn’t count on the passionate attraction between them.

Now available at Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords. Coming very soon to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple and Sony.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CYPPEU0

Still Time to Win an eReader from Books We Love

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

At Books We Love we're celebrating Spring by giving away an eBook Reader. On June 15th one lucky winner will receive his or her choice of the pictured readers below.

Kindle Paperwhite Nook Simple Touch Kobo Touch

All winners must be newsletter subscribers.
Find the entry forms here, and good luck!

http://bookswelove.net/contest.php

Now Available: His Betrayal Her Lies by Angel de'Amor

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Sophisticated Taylor Briggs had her entire life planned out. Engaged to her college sweetheart, Ari Gallagher, Taylor learns a week before her wedding that her perfect life is all based on lies and betrayal. But being the daughter of the Mayor comes at a high price: Taylor’s life is not her own, and she has no choice but to go forward with the wedding.

Ari adds deception to the ultimate sin of unfaithfulness when he fathers a child by another woman. A string of events places Taylor’s life in danger and into the arms of the sexiest bachelor in Chicago, Kalon Knight. Will Taylor mend her relationship with her husband Ari and continue to live a lie? Or will she throw caution to the wind and embark upon a new journey of finding love with Kalon?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CV7GJ00

Excerpt Week: Mountain Moonlight by Jane Toombs

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Vala, now a divorcee, and her young son, Davis, arrive in Phoenix, Arizona, intending to hike into Superstition Mountain to follow an old map her son was given by an elderly Apache before he died. Davis believes it's a treasure map. Convinced by a camping outfitter that they need a guide, Vala checks the list on the store's bulletin board, and finds one name crossed out. Perversely she reads it anyway. . Bram Hunter! Even though she left Phoenix with her family when she was sixteen, she's never forgotten him.

Which drives her to call the number listed.

Bram's planning to leave for a Caribbean vacation in a few days, but he remembers Vala. He has no intention of guiding anyone anywhere right now, but remembers one night long ago, and agrees to meet her.

"Mountain Moonlight…is a leisurely-paced, heart-warming story with intriguing mythological overtones." Teresa Roebuck

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

"Apache Junction," Davis said as Vala stopped the rental car in front of a store advertising camping equipment. "That's a really cool name for a town, Mom."

Seeing his enthusiasm made her almost forget the hassle to get here--how she'd argued and pleaded for ten days off so they could fly to Arizona after the Christmas holidays, which she already knew she couldn't take off. Davis would have to miss a week or so of school, but that couldn't be helped. Finally her employer had rather begrudgingly given her the seven vacation days she had coming plus another three days leave of absence.

She was grateful she hadn't been fired. Heaven knows she needed the job. Since Neal's new wife had blessed him with a son last May, he tended to be careless about his child-support payments for Davis. He was equally careless about keeping in touch with his first-born son. Or maybe heartless was the right word.

Davis tugged at her arm. "Look!" He pointed. "That's it, that's Superstition Mountain."

She stared at the towering mass of rock--volcanic, she'd read somewhere--off to the northeast. It wasn't her first view of the mountain because she'd lived in Phoenix when she was young. Her thought now was the same as she'd had back then--Superstition Mountain didn't look real, thrusting up forbiddingly like it did in the middle of this flat land.

"I'm glad we came," Davis said, his gaze fixed on the mountain. "Really, really glad."

So was she. Davis probably believed he'd convinced her to make the trip because of his earnest arguments about how finding the treasure was going to make up for having to spend a lot of money to get to Arizona. She didn't intend to admit to her son that she was willing to do anything to keep the bright glow of enthusiasm in his eyes. Before John Mokesh had given him the old deer skin map, Davis hadn't been interested in anything. Even his Christmas computer game, one he wanted, failed to fill the bill.

Poor Mr. Mokesh had died in his sleep the night after he'd presented Davis with the map. To her surprise, her son had accepted the old man's death without excessive grief, saying, "Mokesh told me it was his time to die. That's why he gave me his treasure map."

"Mom, you're lollygagging," Davis said. The word came from her father and probably from his father, but it had caught Davis's attention and he liked to use it.

"I was just thinking," she said.

He grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the store entrance. Once inside, Vala told the clerk, a tanned, healthy-looking woman with a long braid down her back, that she and her son planned to make a trip into the Superstitions. "But I don't know much about camping," she admitted, "and so I haven't the faintest idea what we'll need."

The clerk's eyebrows raised. "You're planning to trek into the Superstitions without knowing anything about camping? I hate to rain on your parade but that is not a good idea. Not without a guide. That mountain isn't greenhorn-friendly. Fact is, Superstition Mountain can't be called friendly to anyone."

"A guide?" Vala repeated. "How do I go about finding one?" She hadn't planned on any extra expenses but maybe guides took credit cards.

"We got a list posted." The woman jerked a thumb toward a bulletin board near the front of the store. "Names and phone numbers. We don't guarantee any of the guides but, as far as we've heard, they're all able to bring you out of the Superstitions in almost as good a shape as you were when you went in. Any one of them can tell you what you need to buy and we'll be more than glad to sell you whatever they recommend."

Thanking her, Vala went to take a look at the list while Davis roamed through the store, examining the camping gear. The third name on the guide list was crossed off. Perversely, she wondered why, leaning closer to see if she could make out the letters beneath the heavy dark line. Was it Bruce something? Or Brian? No, that was an "a" and then an "m" after the Br. She gasped, staring at the paper in disbelief. Bram! Was it possible? The last name certainly looked like Hunter.

Turning toward the clerk, she called, "What about this Bram Hunter? Why is he crossed off?"

The woman shrugged. "That's Bram for you. He only works when he feels like it."

Glancing at the list again, Vala took a pen from her bag and squinted at the paper as she wrote down the barely legible phone number, all the time telling herself it was a waste of time. Bram had taken his name off the list, so why call him? She already knew he wasn't available as a guide and if she made the call for old time's sake, he probably wouldn't remember her anyway. Why should he? She'd left Phoenix with her family when she was sixteen and, at that age, she'd been a bookish, mousy, overly shy girl.

He might not remember her but she'd never quite forgotten him. At eighteen Bram Hunter was the most devastatingly handsome boy in the school with just enough of a shadowed reputation to intrigue every girl she knew. Including her. Her mother, unlike the mothers of her friends, had never bothered to warn her to steer clear of Bram Hunter, believing Vala was too shy to speak to any boy. Her mother had been right--in a way. But there were some things her mother never found out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00971EM2A

Excerpt Week: Creole Hearts by Jane Toombs

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

In 1803, the Louisiana Territory was in a turmoil. Spain was ceding this territory back to the France because the United States had offered to let them keep Florida. So the French flag was once again being raised to the joy of the Creoles. But Tanguay La Branche knew the joy would be brief since he was aware this was only part of a deal where President Jefferson would now buy the Louisiana Territory from France. Once they belonged to the United States what would become of the Creoles?

Previously published as "The Creoles"

Excerpt:

Chapter One

All streets leading to the square were thronged with processions and onlookers. Tanguy La Branche, staring down from a crowded Cabildo balcony, was taken back seven years to Paris and the rioting mobs in the city streets. He shook his head to dispel the memory. This was New Orleans, not Paris and, despite the thin drizzle, the Creoles were celebrating.

Below, to the left of the Place d'Armes, the Louisiana Regiment and the New Orleans militia stood at attention. To the right, the Spanish Cavalry Squadron sat stiffly on their mounts. The Spanish flag hung wet and limp but nothing dampened the spirit of the crowds about the square.

The wooden gallows thrusting up near the flagpole seemed out of place, an unpleasant reminder that the Place d'Armes had less joyous usages. The sight of it made Guy remember that this November 30, 1803, wasn't exactly the festive occasion that most thought.

He felt a hand tug at his sleeve.

"Guy, we can't see," his sister Madelaine complained.

Taking advantage of his authority as an aide of Prefet de Laussat, Guy cleared a space at the balcony's iron railing for Madelaine and her friend Annette Louise Courchaine. No one objected, the men smiling at the two pretty fifteen year olds in their high waisted gowns and colorful shawls and bonnets.

A thunder of cannon from the Argo, the French brig of war anchored in the Mississippi River just beyond the Place d'Armes, saluted the arrival of Prefet de Latissat and the Spanish officials as their processions halted in front of the Cabildo, the government building.

When he'd been sent home to Nouvelle Orleans from France, Guy's eyes, dazzled by la belle Paris, saw the small, stockaded town of his birth as a country village instead of the city he'd always believed it to be. New Orleans had perhaps four thousand houses and certainly no more than ten thousand inhabitants, half white, the rest either free colored or Negro slaves. But New Orleans was his home and he loved it.

Annette Louise turned her head to glance at him. As he met her gaze, she blushed and looked quickly away. He smiled, wondering if she realized he still thought of her as a little girl despite her ripening figure. Hadn't she and Madelaine plagued him ever since they were toddlers, getting underfoot, trying to follow him and his friends everywhere?

"They're coming into the Cabildo," Madelaine said. "What happens next, Guy?"

"Governor Salcedo and Prefet de Laussat will sign the documents issued by Napoleon and agreed to by King Charles of Spain, the papers that transfer the colony of Louisiana back to France after forty one years of Spanish rule. Think—we'll be able to call ourselves French in truth."

"We're Creoles," Madelaine said, "not French."

"Yes, but a Spaniard born in the Louisiana colony can also call himself a Creole," Guy said, "while he can never be a Frenchman."

"I think maybe being a Creole is enough," Madelaine said.

Guy shrugged. She’d never been to France, she didn’t understand.

After a time, the prefet and the governor, followed by the marquis de Casa Calvo, the Spanish commissioner said to be the man who’d really ruled the colony, appeared on a tiny balcony to Guy’s right. The crowd below cheered.

As the troops presented arms and the Argo saluted with cannon volleys, the Spanish flag came down and the French tricolor rose to the top of the staff. Guy threw up his arms and shouted in triumph, his cry echoed by hundreds of Creoles, the shouts continuing as the Spanish troops withdrew from the square.

“This is a proud day for Louisiana,” Prefet de Laussant said, beginning his speech.

Proud, yes, Guy told himself, but in truth, a mockery. He recalled what the prefet told him when he’s been appointed as an aide.

“Tanguy, you already speak Spanish in addition to our language. I must insist you also learn English.”

“May I ask why, prefet?

De Laussat had sighed. “I have the curse of being able to choose the best course for the most, even though it goes against my own instincts. I don’t expect you to understand why I ask this of you. Do it.”

Guy had complied, inadvertently teaching English to Madelaine when he asked her to help him memorize words.

He smiled at her now, though her attention was on de Laussat. Intelligence as well as beauty shone in her sable eyes. If only she could be a bit less willful, a trifle less determined to have her own way. Creole woman should be accommodating.

He forced his mind back to the speech, one he’d heard in different forms many times before as the prefect tried it out on his aides. Guy was the youngest of them, only nineteen.

“Money can never be ignored,” his friend Rafe Devol had said pointedly.

Guy knew the truth of this. His father had left him La Belle, the sugar plantation with its manor house and vast acreage below New Orleans as well as the yet undeveloped land on Lake Pontchartrain and the townhouse on the rue de Royal, Certainly Pierre de Laussat took this into consideration when choosing his aides, although Guy hoped there'd also been other reasons for his appointment.

After the speeches were over, Guy saw Annette Louise safely to the Courchaine townhouse, then walked with Madelaine the four islets, the four blocks, to the rue de Royal. The ditches along the dirt streets ran with water and mud splashed up onto the banquette, the sidewalk, from passing horses.

"My slippers will be quite ruined," Madelaine protested, poking a satin covered toe from beneath her gown.

"If you expect me to carry you, you'll have a long wait, dear sister," he said. "I happen to know you have dozens of other slippers while I'm your one and only brother. Wear out the shoes, not me."

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CHCALBM

New Interview with Author Jane Toombs

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Jane Toombs, the Viking from her past and their calico grandcat, Kinko, live on the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula wilderness. Here they enjoy refreshing Springs, beautiful Summers, colorful Falls and tolerate miserable Winters. Jane is edging toward ninety with her published books and has over twenty-five novellas and short stories to her credit. She’s been published in every genre except men’s action and erotica, but paranormal is her favorite. She’s a member of a closed twelve author promo group called Jewels Of The Quill, where she’s “Dame Turquoise” at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com

Website: www.JaneToombs.com

Jane's BWL page

BWL: Why did you choose the genre you write in?

JT: Actually genre and sub-genres choose me. When a story pops into my mind, if if needs to be historical, okay, I write that. If it needs to be contemporary with a touch of paranormal, that’s what I write. And so on through the genres.

The only two I’ve never written in are men’s action and erotica. Not because of any reason other than that a story that needed to be told has never occurred to me in either of those genres.

I’ve even written non-fiction, but that was because my friend Janet Lane Walters and I were at a Pasic Conference where free drinks were being offered, so we had a couple and started jotting down funny names for chapters on cocktail napkins for the writing book we’d suddenly decided to do--some day. Later, cold sober, it didn’t seem like such a good idea. But then she sent me the first chapter to edit. Not to be outdone, I sent her the second chapter and before we knew it we had Becoming Your Own Critique Partner. But it took us the better part of two years to finally get it into publishable form. It’s recently been re-released, with a new title: Words Perfect: Becoming Your Own Critique Partner

BWL: Describe yourself in five words.

JT: Old. Short. Author. Caretaker (for my Life Partner with Parkinson’s). Optimist.

BWL: What was your favorite book as a child or young adult?

JT: I can still see the book--a small back one with gold-edged pages and tiny print called Edgar Allan Poe’s Stories, Ballads and Poems. My eyesight was fine then, so the print didn’t deter me and I immediately fell in love with his writing. I truly believe reading him at an early age gave me my love of the paranormal. And the way he put words together! “…the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir, ” for example.

BWL: What would readers be surprised to find out about you?

JT: I’m not sure. Maybe that I’m an eleven year cancer survivor. Or that I’m 86 years old--which even surprises me.

BWL: Thanks Jane!

Be sure to stop back over the next few days and read some excerpts from Jane's BWL titles.

Now Available: Jewish Soul by Rita Karnopp

noreply@blogger.com (Books We Love) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Jewish Soul
Tango of Death, Book 3

Mayla Sucuri’s world is falling apart . . . no Gypsy is safe in Hitler’s Germany.

Her twin sister, Vanya, has just run off with her love and joined the partisans. Now Mayla is being forced to leave her papa and younger sister, Zilka, with the kumpania.

Heading to Switzerland with her mother, to the safety of her Grandmother’s chalet in Switzerland, Mayla fears she’ll never see any of them again. Her grandmother is connected to every high official in the SS. But not everything isn’t as it appears.

Because of her drive to be a doctor, Mayla finds herself invited to Dachau and Auschwitz. She quickly finds herself in the company of Doctor Josef Mengele and Doctor Sigmund Rascher, who are only too willing to share the results of their medical experiments on Jews and Gypsies.

At great personal risk, Mayla refuses to turn down the opportunity to take notes and bear witness to the atrocities happening at the concentration camps. Mayla is drawn to Auschwitz where the distinctions between good and evil become blurred in a world turned upside down. Will it get her killed or will her unwavering resolve give her the strength and courage to rescue her sisters from the gas chambers?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CS7TCPM