CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS

Cold Killing by Luke Delaney Review for Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour

2013-06-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Cold Killing

by Luke Delaney

on Tour May 21st - June 21st 2013

Book Details Genre: Fiction/Thriller Published by: HarperCollins/William Morrow Paperbacks Publication Date: 05/21/2013 Number of Pages: 448 ISBN: 9780062219466 Series: 1st in the D.I. Sean Corrigan Series Purchase Links:

Synopsis: After a young man is found brutally murdered in his own flat, DI Sean Corrigan, responsible for one of South London’s Murder Investigation Units, takes on the case. At first it appears to be a straightforward domestic murder, but immediately Corrigan suspects it is much more and it soon becomes clear he is hunting a particularly clever and ruthless serial killer who changes his modus operandi each time he kills, leaving no useable forensic evidence behind...

Read an excerpt:

Saturday. I agreed to go to the park with the wife and children. They’re over there on the grassy hill, just along from the pond. They’ve fed themselves, fed the ducks, and now they’re feeding their own belief that we’re one normal happy family. And to be fair, as far as they’re concerned, we are. I won’t let the sight of them spoil my day. The sun is shining and I’m getting a bit of a tan. The memory of the latest visit is still fresh and satisfying. It keeps the smile on my face.

Look at all these people. Happy and relaxed. They’ve no idea I’m watching them. Watching as small children wander away from mothers too distracted by idle chat to notice. Then they realize their little darling has wandered too far and up goes that shrill shriek of an overprotective parent, followed by a leg slap for the child and more shrieking.

I am satisfied for the time being. The fun I had last week will keep me contented for a while, so everyone is safe today.

Chapter 1

Thursday

It was 3 a.m. and Detective Inspector Sean Corrigan drove through the dreary streets of New Cross, southeast London. He had been born and raised in nearby Dulwich, and for as long as he could remember, these streets had been a dangerous place. People could quickly become victims here, regardless of age, sex, or color. Life had little value.

But these worries were for other people, not Sean. They were for the people who had nine-to-five jobs in shops and offices. Those who arrived bleary eyed to work each morning, then scuttled home nervously every evening, only feeling safe once they’d bolted themselves behind closed doors.

Sean didn’t fear the streets, having dealt with the worst they could throw at him. He was a detective inspector in charge of one of South London’s Murder Investigation Teams, dedicated to dealing with violent death. The killers hunted their victims and Sean hunted the killers. He drove with the window down and doors unlocked.

He’d been asleep at home when Detective Sergeant Dave Donnelly called. There’d been a murder. A bad one. A young man beaten and stabbed to death in his own flat. One minute Sean was lying by his wife’s side, the next he was driving to the place where a young man’s life had been torn away.

The streets around the murder scene were eerily quiet. He was pleased to see that the uniformed officers had done their job properly and taped off a large cordon around the block the flat was in. He’d been to scenes before where the cordon started and stopped at the front door. How much evidence had been carried away from scenes on the soles of shoes? He didn’t want to think about it.

There were two marked patrol cars alongside Donnelly’s unmarked Ford. He always laughed at the murder scenes on television, with dozens of police cars parked outside, all with blue lights swirling away. Inside, dozens of detectives and forensics guys would be falling over each other. Reality was different.

Entirely different.

Real crime scenes were all the more disturbing for their quietness—the violent death of the victim would leave the atmosphere shattered and brutalized. Sean could feel the horror closing in around him as he examined a scene. It was his job to discover the details of death, and over time he had grown hardened to it, but not immune. He knew that this scene would be no different.

He parked outside the taped-off cordon and climbed from the isolation of his car into the warm loneliness of the night, the stars of the clear sky and the streetlights removing all illusion of darkness. If he had been anyone else, doing any other job, he might have noticed how beautiful it was, but such thoughts had no place here. He flashed his identification to the approaching uniformed officer and grunted his name. “DI Sean Corrigan, Serious Crime Group South. Where’s this flat?”

The uniformed officer was young. He seemed afraid of Sean. He must be new if a mere detective inspector scared him. “Number sixteen Tabard House, sir. It’s on the second floor, up the stairs and turn right. Or you could take the lift.”

“Thanks.”

Sean opened the boot of his car and cast a quick glance over the contents squeezed inside. Two large square plastic bins contained all he would need for an initial scene examination. Paper suits and slippers. Various sizes of plastic exhibit bags, paper bags for clothing, half a dozen boxes of plastic gloves, rolls of

sticky labels, and of course a sledgehammer, a crowbar, and other tools. The boot of Sean’s car would be mirrored by detectives’ cars across the world.

He pulled on a forensic containment suit and headed toward the stairwell. The block was of a type common to this area of London. Low-rise tenements made from dark, oppressive, brown-gray brick that had been thrown up after the Second World War to house those bombed out of old slum areas. In their time they’d been a revelation—indoor toilets, running water, heating—but now only those trapped in poverty lived in them. They looked like prisons, and in a way that’s what they were.

The stairwell smelled of urine. The stench of humans living on top of one another was unmistakable. This was summer and the vents of the flats pumped out the smells from within. Sean almost gagged on it, the sight, sound, and smell of the tenement block reminding him all too vividly of his own childhood, living in a three-bedroom, public housing duplex with his mother, two brothers, two sisters, and his father—his

father who would lead him away from the others, taking him to the upstairs bedroom where things would happen. His mother too frightened to intervene—thoughts of reaching for a knife in the kitchen drawer swirling in her head, but fading away as her courage deserted her. But the curse of his childhood had left him with a rare and dark insightfulness—an ability to understand the motivations of those he hunted.

All too often the abused become the abusers as the darkness overtakes them, evil begetting evil—a terrible cycle of violence, virtually impossible to break—and so the demons of Sean’s past were too deeply assimilated in his being to ever be rid of. But Sean was different in that he could control his demons and his rage, using his shattered upbringing to allow him insights into the crimes he investigated that other cops could only dream of. He understood the killers, rapists, and arsonists—understood why they had to do what they did, could interpret their motivation—see what they saw, smell what they had smelled, feel what they had felt—their excitement, power, lust, revulsion, guilt, regret, fear. He could make leaps in investigations others struggled to understand, filling in the blanks with his unique imagination. Crime scenes came alive in his mind’s eye, playing in his head like movies. He was no psychic or clairvoyant; he was just a cop—but a cop with a broken past and a dangerous future, his skill at reading the ones he hunted born of his own dark, haunted past. Where better for a failed disciple of true evil to hide than among cops? Where better to turn his unique tools to good use than the police? He swallowed the bile rising in his throat and headed for the crime scene—the murder scene.

Sean stopped briefly to acknowledge another uniformed officer posted at the front door of the flat. The constable lifted the tape across the door and watched him duck inside. Sean looked down the corridor of the flat. It was bigger than it had seemed from the outside. DS Donnelly waited for him, his large frame filling the doorway, his mustache all but concealing the movement of his lips as he talked. Dave Donnelly, twenty-year-plus veteran of the Metropolitan Police and very much Sean’s old-school right-hand man. His anchor to the logical and practical course of an investigation and part-time crutch to lean on. They’d had their run-ins and disagreements, but they understood each other—they trusted each other.

“Morning, guv’nor. Stick to the right of the hallway here. That’s the route I’ve been taking in and out,” Donnelly growled in his strange accent, a mix of Glaswegian and Cockney, his mustache twitching as he spoke.

“What’ve we got?” Sean asked matter-of-factly.

“No sign of forced entry. Security is good in the flat, so he probably let the killer in. All the damage to the victim seems to have been done in the living room. A real fucking mess in there. No signs of disturbance anywhere else. The living room is the last door on the right, down the corridor. Other than that we’ve got a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a separate room for the toilet. From what I’ve seen, the victim kept things reasonably clean and tidy. Decent taste in furniture. There’s a few photies of the victim around the place—as best I can tell, anyway. His injuries make it a wee bit difficult to be absolutely sure. There’s plenty of them with him, shall we say, embracing other men.”

“Gay?” Sean asked.

“Looks that way. It’s early days, but there’s definitely some decent hi-fi and TV stuff around the place, and I notice several of the photies have our boy in far-flung corners of the world. Must have cost a few pennies. We’re not dealing with a complete loser here. He had a decent enough job, or he was a decent enough villain, although I don’t get the feel this is a villain’s home.” Both men craned their heads around the hallway area, as if to confirm Donnelly’s assessment so far. He continued: “And I’ve found a few letters all addressed to a Daniel Graydon. Nothing for anyone else.”

“Well, Daniel Graydon,” Sean asked, “what the hell happened to you? And why?”

“Shall we?” With an outstretched hand pointing along the corridor, Donnelly invited Sean to continue.

They moved from room to room, leaving the living room to the end. They trod carefully, moving around the edges so as not to disturb any invisible footprint indentations left in the carpets or minute but vital evidence: a strand of hair, a tiny drop of blood. Occasionally Sean would take a photograph with his small digital camera. He would keep the photographs for his personal use only, to remind him of details he had seen, but also to put himself back at the scene anytime he needed to sense it again, to smell the odor of blood, to taste the sickly sweet flavor of death. To feel the killer’s presence. He wished he could be alone in the flat, without the distraction of having to talk to anyone—to explain what he was seeing and feeling. It had been the same ever since he was a young cop, his ability to step into the shoes of the offender, be it a residential burglary or murder. Seeing the scene through the eyes of the offender. But only the more alarming scenes seemed to trigger this reaction. Walking around scenes of domestic murders or gangland stabbings he saw more than most other detectives, but felt no more than they did. This scene already seemed different. He wished he were alone.

Sean felt uncomfortable in the flat. Like an intruder. As if he should be constantly apologizing for being there. He shook off the feeling and mentally absorbed everything. The cleanliness of the furniture and the floors. Were the dishes washed and put away? Had any food been left out? Did anything, no matter how small, seem somehow out of place? If the victim kept his clothing neatly folded away, then a shirt on the floor would alert Sean’s curiosity. If the victim had lived in squalor, a freshly cleaned glass next to a sink full of dirty dishes would attract his eye. Indeed, Sean had already noted something amiss.

Sean and Donnelly came to the living room. The door was ajar, exactly how it had been found by the young constable. Donnelly moved inside. Sean followed.

There was a strong smell of blood—a lot of blood. It was a metallic smell. Like hot copper. Sean recalled the times he’d tasted his own blood. It always made him think that it tasted exactly like it smelled. At least this man had been killed recently. It was summer now—if the victim had been there for a few days

the flat would have reeked. Flies would have filled the room, maggots infesting the body. He felt a jolt of guilt for being glad the man had just been killed.

Sean crouched next to the body, careful to avoid stepping in the pool of thick burgundy blood that had formed around the victim’s head. He’d seen many murder victims. Some had almost no wounds to speak of, others had terrible injuries. This was a bad one. As bad as he’d seen.

“Jesus Christ. What the hell happened in this room?” Sean asked.

Donnelly looked around. The dining room table was overturned. Two of the chairs with it had been destroyed. The TV had been knocked from its stand. Pictures lay smashed on the floor. CDs were strewn around the room. The lights from the CD player blinked in green.

“Must have been a hell of a fight,” Donnelly said.

Sean stood up, unable to look away from the victim: a white male, about twenty years old, wearing a T-shirt that was 50 percent soaked in blood, and hipster jeans, also heavily soaked in blood. One sock remained on his right foot; the other was nowhere to be seen. He was lying on his back, the left leg bent under the right, with both arms stretched out in a crucifix position. There were no restraints of any kind in evidence. The left side of his face and head had been caved in. The victim’s short hair allowed Sean to see two serious head wounds indicating horrific fractures to the skull. Both eyes were swollen almost completely shut and his nose was smashed, with congealed blood crusted around it. The mouth hadn’t escaped punishment, the lips showing several deep cuts, with the jaw hanging, dislocated. Sean wondered how many teeth would be missing. The right ear was nowhere to be seen. He hoped to God the man had died from the first blow to his head, but he doubted it.

The pool of blood by the victim’s head was the only heavy saturation area other than his clothing. Elsewhere there were dozens of splash marks: on the walls, furniture, and carpet. Sean imagined the victim’s head being whipped around by the ferocity of the blows, the blood from his wounds traveling in a fine spray through the air until it landed where it now remained. Once examined properly, these splash marks should provide a useful map of how the attack had developed.

The victim’s body had not been spared. Sean wasn’t about to start counting, but there must have been fifty to a hundred stab wounds. The legs, abdomen, chest, and arms had all been brutally attacked. Sean looked around for weapons, but could see none. He returned his gaze to the shattered body, trying to free his mind, to see what had happened to the young man now lying dead on his own floor. For the most fleeting of moments he saw a figure hunched over the dying man, something that resembled a screwdriver rather than a knife gripped in his hand, but the image was gone as quickly as it had arrived. Finally he managed to look away and speak.

“Who found the body?”

“That would be us,” Donnelly replied.

"How so?"

“Well, us via a concerned neighbor.”

“Is the neighbor a suspect?”

“No, no,” Donnelly dismissed the idea. “Some young bird from a few doors down, on her way home with her kebab and chips after a night of shagging and drinking.”

“Did she enter the flat?”

“No. She’s not the hero type, by all accounts. She saw the door slightly open and decided we ought to know about it. If she’d been sober, she probably wouldn’t have bothered.”

Sean nodded his agreement. Alcohol made some people conscientious citizens in the same way it made others violent temporary psychopaths.

“Uniform sent a unit around to check it out and found our victim here,” Donnelly added.

“Did he trample the scene?”

“No, he’s a probationer straight out of Hendon and still scared enough to remember what he’s supposed to do. He kept to the edges, touched nothing.”

“Good,” Sean said automatically, his mind having already moved on, already growing heavy with possibilities. “Well, whoever did this is either very angry or very ill.”

“No doubt about that,” Donnelly agreed.

There was a pause, both men taking the chance to breathe deeply and steady themselves, clearing their minds, a necessary prelude before trying to think coldly and logically. Seeing this brutality would never be easy, would never be matter-of-fact.

“Okay. First guess is we’re looking at a domestic murder.”

“A lover’s tiff?” Donnelly asked.

Sean nodded. “Whoever did this probably took a fair old beating themselves,” he added. “A man fighting for his life can do a lot of damage.”

“I’ll check the local hospitals,” Donnelly volunteered. “See if anyone who looks like they’ve been in a real ding-dong has been admitted.”

“Check with the local police stations for the same and wake the rest of the team up. Let’s get everyone together at the station for an eight a.m. briefing. And we might as well see if we can get a pathologist to examine the body while it’s still in place.”

“That won’t be easy, guv.”

“I know, but try. See if Dr. Canning is available. He sometimes comes out if it’s a good one, and he’s the best.”

“I’ll do what I can, but no promises.”

Sean surveyed the scene. Most murders didn’t take long to solve. The most obvious suspect was usually the right suspect. The panicked nature of the crime provided an Aladdin’s cave of forensic evidence. Enough to get a conviction. In cases like this, detectives often had to do little more than wait for the laboratory to examine the exhibits from the scene and provide all the answers. But as Sean looked around something was already niggling away at his instincts.

Donnelly spoke again. “Seems straightforward?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty happy.” He let the statement linger.

“But . . . ?”

“The victim almost certainly knew his killer. No forced entry, so he’s let him in. A boyfriend is a fair bet. This smells like a domestic murder. A few too many drinks. A heated argument. A fight kicks off and gets nastier and nastier, both end up beaten to a pulp and one dies. A crime of passion that the killer had no time to prepare for. He’s lost it for a while, killed a friend. A lover. Now all he wants to do is run. Get away from this flat and be somewhere safe to think out his next move. But there’re a couple of things missing for me.”

“Such as?”

“They’ve probably been having a drink, but there are no glasses anywhere. Can you remember dealing with a domestic murder where alcohol wasn’t involved?”

“Maybe he cleaned the place up a bit?” Donnelly offered. “Washed the glasses and put them away.”

“Why would he bother cleaning a glass when his blood and fingerprints must be all over the place after a struggle like this?”

“Panic?” Donnelly suggested. “Wasn’t thinking straight. He cleaned up his glass, maybe started to clean up other stuff too before he realized he was wasting his time.”

“Maybe.”

Sean was thinking hard. The lack of signs of alcohol was a small point, but any experienced detective would have expected to find evidence of its use at a scene like this. An empty bottle of cider. A half-empty bottle of Scotch, or a champagne bottle to fuel the rage of the rich. But it was the image he was beginning to visualize that was plaguing him with doubt—the image his mind was piecing together using evidence that was missing as much as evidence that was present. The image of a figure crouching very deliberately over the victim. No frenzy, no rage, but evil in a human form.

“There’s something else,” he told Donnelly. “The killing obviously took place in the living room. We know he must have gone out the front door because everything else is locked up nice and tight. But the hallway is clean. Nothing. The carpet is light beige, yet there’s no sign of a bloody footprint. And the door handle? Nothing. No blood. Nothing.

“So our killer beats and stabs the victim to death in a frenzied moment of rage and yet stops to clean his hands before opening any doors. After killing a man who may have been his lover, he’s suddenly calm enough to take his shoes off and tiptoe out of the place. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

Donnelly joined in. “And if our boy did stop to clean himself up before leaving, then where did he get clean? He had two choices. The sink in the bathroom or the sink in the kitchen.”

Sean continued for him. “We’ve seen both of them. Clean as a whistle. No signs of recent use. Not even a splash of water.”

“Aye,” Donnelly said. “But it’s probably nothing. We’re assuming too much. Maybe forensics will prove us wrong and find some blood in the hallway we can’t see.”

Sean wasn’t convinced, but before he could reply the uniformed constable at the front door called into the flat. “Excuse me, sir, your lab team is here.”

Sean shouted a reply. “Coming out.”

He and Donnelly walked from the flat carefully, keeping to the route they’d used on entering. They walked to the edge of the taped-off cordon where they knew Detective Sergeant Andy Roddis would be waiting with his team of specially trained detectives and scene examiners.

DS Roddis saw Sean and Donnelly approach. He observed their forensics suits but was not impressed. “I take it you two have already been trampling all over my scene.” He was right to be annoyed. The book said no one into the house except the scene examination team. “Next time I’m going to seize your clothing as exhibits.”

About the Author:

Luke Delaney joined the Metropolitan Police Service in the late 1980s and his first posting was to an inner city area of South East London notorious for high levels of crime and extreme violence. He later joined CID where he investigated murders ranging from those committed by fledgling serial killers to gangland assassinations.

My Thoughts
Cold Killing is a spectacular mystery crime thriller about the hunt for a serial killer. The author has extensive knowledge of law enforcement and it definitely shows in the writing of this novel. A fast paced thriller of a ride into the warped mind of a serial killer. The story is told in the viewpoint of DI Sean Corrigan and the killer. It may seem that reading the book the reader can figure out who the killer is but as the story goes on, not all is as it seems. The story is well written and the characters believable. I highly recommend this book if you love a top notch thriller. I look forward to more by this author...

I received a copy of this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my views.

Chaperones by Megan Karasch Spotlight for JKS Communications

2013-06-18T20:47:00.004-07:00

About the Book
For Andrea Lieberman, life began at 26. Growing up with parents so protective they made a convent seem like a Sandal’s resort, she developed a catalog of phobias so large, even going into a church seemed risky business. Finally, Andrea had had enough; she wanted to live rather than fear dying. Without hesitation, she accepts a photography assignment for a magazine traveling through England and packs up her camera, her pepper spray and every insecurity she accumulated since birth. Excited but petrified to reveal the news to her boyfriend, he intercepts with news of his own – a marriage proposal, leaving the lingering question of their impending nuptials as she travels abroad.

Upon touching down in England, Andrea flops around like a fish out of water. The magazine’s staff – the idiot, the slut, and the mute – offer little comfort outside of a pint of beer until she’s assigned two blokes as travel companions – a tight-arsed copywriter and a drop-dead gorgeous art director with movie star charm. These two men help Andrea push herself beyond her comfort zone while testing the limits of her fortitude and her relationship with her boyfriend. The photographic journey becomes a comedy of errors thanks to unforeseen obstacles at every turn. As Andrea struggles to complete the assignment, she discovers the most revealing picture she develops will be of herself.

About the Author

Megan Karasch was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After college, she worked in a creative capacity assisting with the production of stories for a nationally televised entertainment news program. Following her television stint, she went to law school in Southern California where she earned her J.D. For almost two years, commencing in 2007, while the analytical side of her brain was hard at work in the law, she exercised the creative side writing for a popular Los Angeles lifestyle online magazine, writing music reviews and special interest pieces.

Currently, both halves of her brain remain active while she continues to practice law and has begun what she hopes is a prosperous and rewarding life using the written word to enlighten and enliven. Megan lives in Southern California with her cat, Squeaker, and spends her time reading, socializing with her friends and family and playing drums for a local indie rock band.

Incidental Daughter by Val Stasik Review for Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour

2013-06-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Join Val Stasik, author of the romantic suspense, Incidental Daughter, as she tours the blogosphere May 6 – June 28 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

ABOUT INCIDENTAL DAUGHTER

When successful publisher Liz Michaels’ marriage to blue blood, Addison Tiffin Payne, fails after the loss of their baby and his growing alcoholism, she pours all her creative energy and passion into her work and finds comfort in her friendship with the co-owners of her company as well as the appearances of the spirits of her Polish mother and grandmother, who never speak except in dreams she cannot remember. Only her feelings from those dreams linger.

When Liz’s ex-husband plans to stage her suicide by pushing her off the balcony of her high-rise home in order to collect on a life insurance policy, he topples to his death instead. When the police arrive, Liz, the potential victim, becomes the prime murder suspect. She meets Pittsburgh Police Detective Jim Shannon, who may threaten her freedom or possibly gain her love. Her life is further complicated by her former mother-in-law’s attempts to destroy her reputation and damage her career. Her swirling feelings are complicated by the simultaneous appearance of a talented, familiar-looking intern at her workplace. He turns out to be her half-brother, but he is unaware of their connection. Although Liz is finished with a past that included a botched meeting with her biological father, the past is not done with her, for the intern and Shannon link her to that past. The cause of her ex-husband’s death is determined and Shannon and his partner, Santello, arrest the person responsible for what led to his death.

Internal conflict is soon compounded by external threats created by her former mother-in-law as well as someone seeking revenge on Shannon and his fellow detective. Just as Shannon and Liz are getting better acquainted, he is gunned downed, but survives. When Liz is leaving Shannon’s hospital room, she passes a woman whom she doesn’t realize is her dead father’s wife. The woman, Eileen, is also Shannon’s sister and notices the resemblance to her dead husband. Eileen did not learn of the existence of her husband’s daughter until after his death. This encounter sets in motion a series of touchy revelations and family get-togethers. All seems to be going well until Payne’s grieving mother decides to make Liz pay for Payne’s death. Warned by the mother’s housekeeper, Detective Santello and another detective rush to Liz’s office. In the shootout, Payne’s mother is killed but not before killing Santello who took the bullet meant for Liz. Will Liz be destroyed by this vortex, or will she use the crisis to open the door to a second chance at love and family?

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

ABOUT VAL STASIK

Val Stasik shares a home in eternally sunny Santa Fe, NM, with her aging mixed terrier, Sugar, who allows her to sleep in his queen-size bed as well as sharpen her culinary skills for his benefit. Stasik spent many years as a writing teacher, helping other writers find their voice and tell their stories, and is a consultant for the Northern Virginia Writing Project. INCIDENTAL DAUGHTER is Stasik’s debut novel.

Stasik studied drama and English at the University of Pittsburgh and then transferred to the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating with high honors and a B.S. in Secondary Education, Communication. The year she attended graduate school was filled with student protests, bomb threats, and military helicopters.

Stasik became an editorial assistant for THE PHARMACOLOGIST in Bethesda. She then moved to Harpers Ferry where she taught for five years and participated in the Old Opera House Theatre onstage and behind the scenes.

In Harrisburg, PA, she became a groom and mutuels clerk at Penn National Race Track and, later, a commercial lines underwriter for Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company. Right before her son was born, Three Mile Island happened. So far, neither glows in the dark.

In Virginia, Stasik enjoyed the enriching experience of teaching writing and literature in the Loudoun County Public School system, instructed other teachers in assessing student writings, and helped develop various English curricula. She also participated in the Fauquier Community Theatre on and off stage. From 2002-2004, she developed a part-time hypnosis practice. She then retired to Santa Fe where she has been writing—a few film scripts that have been produced (Café Destiny, on the Web, Spring 2013, www.cafe-destiny.com) and a couple of award-winning play scripts.

Stasik is currently a member of the New Mexico Book Association, the New Mexico Book Co-Op; Southwest Writers; the Independent Book Publishers Association; the Small Publishers’ Association of North America; the Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network; and Pennwriters.

Visit her website at www.ValerieStasik.com.

Connect & Socialize with Val!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK

My Thoughts

Incidental Daughter is about a successful woman, Liz Michaels with an unsuccessful ex husband,Addison Payne. Addison desperately needs money so he comes up with the idea that he can make it look like his wife committed suicide. He breaks into her apartment and decides to wait on the balcony for her so he can push her off. Somehow he is the one that ends up over the balcony, dead. The police think that it was murder and suspect Liz. The detective that handles the case is not sure if Liz is guilty or not but things do not look good for Liz. Did someone murder Addison and if so why? This is a fast paced story of a love gone wrong and of family secrets that could ultimately destroy Liz in her livelihood and possibly her life. Believable characters, well written plot makes this novel an enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Running Into The Darkness by D A Bale Spotlight for Tribute Books

2013-06-18T09:58:00.004-07:00

Running into the Darkness Book Summary:

Death follows Dr. Samantha Bartlett throughout her life until it claims everyone close to her. There's one powerful man responsible on whom Samantha sets her sights for revenge. The price is her soul. For centuries, sex has been the weapon of men...now it's her turn.

“I never intended to kill the President. As a doctor, I swore an oath to protect life – not take it. But that was before...”

Second year resident, Dr. Samantha Bartlett, is swept from the frigid New York winter to once again confront the sting of death back home – and face those she left behind. But she’s not alone. A strange man she dubs Shades haunts her every step as she seeks answers to the inferno which claimed her grandmother, an eerie reminder of her parents’ deaths. The secrets Samantha uncovers forever changes her image of those she only thought she knew.

Confronted by Shades, Samantha joins a secret underworld known only as the Elite, where a web of power and control is woven deep within governments worldwide. Their sights are set on the power structure of the United States, and Samantha becomes the unlikely key to infiltrating the White House at its most intimate levels.

The quest for blood threatens to destroy Samantha. From the darkness there is no escape.

D A Bale's Bio:

Sometimes life emulates fiction.

Life is filled with tragedy and Ms. Bale's writing reflects this reality. However, there is always a silver lining...even if one must spend their entire life searching for it.

In her previous career, Ms. Bale traveled the United States as a Government Relations Liaison, working closely with Congressional offices and various government agencies. This experience afforded her a glimpse into the sometimes "not so pretty" reality of the political sphere. Much of this reality and various locations throughout her travels make it into her writing.

She dreams of the day she can return to visit Alaska.

D A Bale's Web Site/Blog:
http://dabalepublishing.blogspot.com/D A Bale's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/D-A-Bale/181244371959801

D A Bale's Twitter:https://twitter.com/DABale1

D A Bale's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5315256.D_A_Bale

Running into the Darkness' Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13012298-running-into-the-darkness

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Running into the Darkness's blog tour site:
http://runningintothedarkness.blogspot.com/

Web Site: www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Blog Tours

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The Secret Side of Empty by Maria Andreu Book Spotlight

2013-06-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

COMING NEXT SPRING… The Secret Side of Empty

**Read about the book and scroll below for details on how to enter to WIN a $250 Amazon gift card just by liking the author’s Facebook page!**

BOOK BLURB for “Secret Side of Empty”

You've heard the news stories. Now hear the real story.

M.T. is starting her senior year with a lot going for her. She gets great grades, has a best friend she met in kindergarten and a boyfriend who is sweet and into her. But life – at least as she knows it – is about to end.

M.T. is what the news calls “illegal” – she came to the U.S. with her parents as a baby and never got the right papers that allowed her to stay. She lives in fear of her family getting deported, in even more fear that she’ll have to go to the home country she doesn’t even remember, of people finding out her ugly secret and of the increasingly volatile situation at home. When senior year is over, the protected world she’s found in her small parochial school will disappear. Without a social security number, she won’t be able to go to college, get a job or, maybe worst of all, get a driver’s license.

But she’ll worry about all that later. First, she’s got a senior year to take on.

A Note from the Author, Maria Andreu:

The fulfillment of great dreams feels best when shared, which is why I'm inviting people to Like my Facebook page and come along with me on the fabulous and improbable journey of publishing my first novel. As my thanks, when you like the page by July 31st, you'll be able to enter to win a fan-only sweeps for a $250 Amazon gift card!

Why does it feel so unlikely to get to fulfill my dream? Well, like M.T., the main character of my novel, I was once an undocumented immigrant, which means I spent my teenage years in fear of getting deported from the only country I've ever called home. I grew up feeling totally American but knowing that a choice my parents had made for me when I was too young to have a say made me unwanted in my homeland. Although I got my papers through amnesty when I was 18, for years I carried the shame and secrecy of that experience. So going from little girl hiding in a Tijuana shack waiting to cross the border to published author living all my dreams feels incredibly lucky and nearly impossible. But I am living proof that dreams do come true.

The Secret Side of Empty is a novel about a teen girl whose life, as she knows it, is going to end after senior year. It's not just run-of-the-mill, end-of-high-school anxiety... it's really going to end. Her parents brought her to the U.S. undocumented as a baby, so she's what the news calls "illegal," although she's an American teenager through and through. With no social security number, she'll have to watch as her friends go off to college, get after-school jobs and drivers' licenses and travel overseas on the senior trip, while her life goes into the dangerous shadow of the undocumented. No one knows the big secret she's keeping, not her best friend Chelsea and not her super-cool boyfriend, Nate. Things have gotten pretty bad at home too, so she can't turn to anyone there.

What's it like when you have nowhere left to turn and are stuck in circumstances you didn't create and which are beyond your control? The Secret Side of Empty explores the fear, the hope and how the human spirit ultimately prevails.

Be the first to get updates on the cover, new tour stops, and fan-only content (plus enter a sweeps for a $250 Amazon gift card) by liking the author's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/maria.andreu.books

The book is already getting industry buzz and news coverage, so Like the FB page to get updates on that as well.

AUTHOR BIO

Maria Andreu is an author and immigration rights activist. She lives in beautiful Bergen County, New Jersey with her two wonderful middle schoolers. At the age of 12, she wrote in her diary, "Most of all, I want to be a writer." Growing up undocumented and poor, she never imagined that dream might come true one day. Her work has been published in Newsweek, The Washington Post and The Star Ledger and her first novel, The Secret Side of Empty, will be published by Running Press in Spring, 2014.

Sweet Revenge: Dueling with the Devil Book 2 by Vivi Dumas Book Blast

2013-06-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

About the Book:

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. What if that woman is a demon, in fact Lilith's very own daughter? Isabella LaCoste vowed to get her revenge on her ex and his new human fiance. She didn't commit fifty years of her life to be thrown out like last season's runway fad. But taking vengeance on an upper level Shifter Demon and the newly crowned Voodoo Princess might not be a one demon job. She volunteers her services to Lucifer to deliver Angel and Jacque in exchange for his help. She never expected her new partner in crime would fill the void in her broken heart.

Not even death brought him peace. Xavier Toussant wanted out of his contract and the killing business. His last assignment was his own brother and he failed to deliver. Lucifer didn't appreciate his valor in dealing with his brother, Jacque. In fact, it only created more problems. Xavier's back on assignment to capture his brother and the Voodoo chick. Only this time, he's shackled to the craziest female in the Underworld. Xavier finds Isabella LaCoste might be the one thing to put his soul at ease.

Sweet Revenge: Dueling with the Devil Book 2 was a Finalist in the Music City Melody of Love Contest.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

About the Author:

Although Vivi Dumas grew up an Army brat, she calls Louisiana home, but have endured the hot summers and cold winters of Maryland for the last 16 years. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University with an MBA in Finance and Marketing. Her analytical side has honed a career in the financial industry for almost twenty years. To balance her logical, numerical day job, she unleashes her creativity in her writing.

Vivi pens multicultural paranormal romance, mixing the two genres she loves. Her steamy paranormal romances indulge in worlds inhabited by demons, werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings. She has published works with Decadent Publishing, Ravenous Romance, and Breathless Press.

Her latest book is the paranormal romance, Sweet Revenge: Dueling with the Devil Book 2.

Visit her website at www.ViviDumas.com.

Connect & Socialize with Vivi!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Sweet Revenge: Dueling with the Devil Book 2 Book Blast Page:

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/05/21/book-blast-pump-up-your-book-presents-vivi-dumas-sweet-revenge-dueling-with-the-devil-book-2-book-blast-win-25-amazon-gcpaypal-cash/

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A Celtic Tapestry Book Blitz

2013-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

About A Celtic Tapestry

The wheel of the year turns, bringing the joy of spring, the warmth of summer, the richness of autumn, and the merriment of winter. But eight Celtic festivals link these seasons together, bringing with them romance, lust, danger, and even magic. From a city under threat from night-time creatures at Ostara, to a selkie caught by the light of the Lughnasadh moon, to a writer caught in the flames of a fiery goddess at Imbolc.

Eight authors have come together to give their own twist on these festivals, weaving each story with a blend of myth, magic, and contemporary telling…to create A Celtic Tapestry.

Crimson Beat--Elle J Rossi

In Nashville, Ostara night is filled with monsters...and only one woman can take them on.

Beltane Fires--Livia Ellis

Deep in the Irish countryside, a witch takes over as Mother of her coven. Will a 'wink at the moon' love spell give her what she most wants?

Blade's Magic--Carolyn Wolfe

Midsummer celebrations are going as usual for one magical young woman, until she comes into contact with Max Blade--a man from another dimension.

Shore's Edge--Tara S Wood

Lammas beckons in Ireland in the year 1170, bringing with it war. Will one feisty young woman have to marry the man she hates most, or will the Gods bring her another answer?

The Picnic--Elodie Parkes

The woods near Morgan's home are under threat. But will salvation come for the woods--and himself--in the form of a beautiful environmental officer?

Shadows in the Dark--Miranda Stork

A surprising past life regression opens up a new world for one young woman...but it also throws her at the mercy of an unknown Shadow Man.

Magic in Memphis--Hunter S Jones

Memphis. The favourite place of a hard working public-relations employee, whose life is good, but without surprise...until she has a chance meeting with James Wellington on Yule night, throwing her world upside-down.

Brigid's Flame--Laura DeLuca

A writer, depressed at the turns of his career and losing his relationship with his girlfriend, looks to the Gods for inspiration at Imbolc...and finds the goddess Brigid answers his prayers.

Buy the Book

Amazon | Goodreads

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes & Noble

www.moonrosepublishing.com

The Portrait by Hazel Statham Blog Tour for Dilly Dally PR

2013-06-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

About the book:

England 1812 Severely injured at the battle of Salamanca, Edward Thurston, the new Earl of Sinclair, returns home to his beloved Fly Hall. Determined not to present his prospective bride with the wreck he believes himself to have become, he decides to end his betrothal, unaware that Lady Jennifer, for vastly differing reasons, has reached the selfsame decision. Throughout the campaigns, Edward was often seen relying greatly on a miniature he carried, and it is to this token he clings upon his return. Will he eventually find happiness with the girl in the portrait, or will he remain firm in his resolve not to wed? Reason dictates one course, his heart another.

Book Excerpt:

Wilmot smiled. “Your wounds are healing well enough, Edward, and although it will take some while, I do believe you will return to full strength.”

Sinclair’s voice dropped, “And what of the night terrors, will they cease?”

“Almost certainly. They are the result of the amputation and the trauma to your body, but with time they will diminish.”

“Time I don't have,” the earl replied shortly, his gaze becoming distracted and his hand moving restlessly on the blue brocade quilt that Wilmot had placed back over him at the end of his examination. “Ironic, is it not? To the outside world ’twould appear that I have time aplenty, but you see, I have not. I am to be married, John. Or, more rightly, I was to have been married. Yet how can I expect a wife to commit herself to the wreck I have become?”

“You are no wreck,” the medic assured. “It will take more than the loss of your arm to bring you low. Your strength will assuredly return.”

Sinclair grimaced ruefully. “Ah, but my strength will not return my arm to me or make my form more pleasing to Lady Jennifer, my betrothed. I'll carry these scars with me through life.”

Wilmot saw the earl’s agitation. “Your scars were gained honorably, Edward, and when you feel more yourself, you'll become reconciled to them.”

Sinclair shook his head impatiently.

“Tell that to a new bride. She will soon tire of such a husband. She will be repulsed by me, and who should blame her? Certainly not I.”

“Women are such unpredictable creatures, it is oft noted that they can become devoted to the most unlikely of spouses and if she loves you…”

“There you have the truth of it; I don't believe that she does. The betrothal was hastened because, like every other young buck of my generation, despite my father’s protestations that his heir should lay himself open to such dangers, I was eager to hasten to the war. Lady Jennifer and I knew each other for such a short time, with little opportunity to be private. In short, I must admit to it being a contrived marriage, a mariage de convenance brought about by our respective sires. I took my commission and hastened to Spain, as eager as any Englishman to face Old Boney. I have been too long away; we will be but strangers.”

“Was there no communication between you?”

“We wrote very little and I felt no desire to impart the horrors of war. I would shield her from such abominations. I preferred to keep my own counsel and instead encouraged her to tell me of the season's gaieties and divert my thoughts.”

Wilmot appeared incredulous.

“You made no effort to engage her affections?”

“How could I from such a distance.”

“I would not have though that to pose a problem to you, Edward. I always thought you a man of considerable address.”

“If that be the case, how then am I to present her with who I’ve become? She’s not even aware of the extent of my injuries and I would wish to be the man she thought me when we became betrothed.”

Wilmot raised his brows in disbelief.

“You’ve not informed her of the nature of your wounds?”

“I felt not the need to distress her with the details.”

The medic shook his head.

“You take this desire to shield her too far, Edward. Surely it would have been wiser to have prepared her for your homecoming…?”

Purchase a copy of the novel at the following links below:

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

About the author:

Hazel Statham lives in England and has been writing on and off since she was fifteen. Initially she was influenced by Austen, the Brontes, and Sabatini but when Hazel turned seventeen, Georgette Heyer opened up the romance and elegance of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. She immediately knew she had found her eras and wanted nothing more than to re-create them in her work. Hazel lives with her husband, Terry, and a beautiful Labrador named Mollie.

Stay up to date with the author via her:

Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Giveaway:

To be in with a chance of winning a H/B copy of Consequence or a small item of jewellery. (e.g. pearl earrings) please leave a comment below with your email addie ANY comment you make during the tour on ANY post counts as an entry into the giveaway! The giveaway ends 30 June and a random commenter will be picked, emailed and announced on the Dilly Dally PR site. GOOD-LUCK!

Harkness by Michael Bigham Review for Pump Up Your Book

2013-06-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Join Michael Bigham, author of the mystery novel, Harkness, as he tours the blogosphere May 6 – June 28, 2013 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

Harkness isn’t your typical Western sheriff. Cowboy boots make his arches ache, he’s phobic of horses, but he does have a horse of sorts – a `39 Chevy pickup he calls Hoopie, and a sidekick – a neurotic wiener dog named Addison.

Harkness is a man of his times, shaped for both good and bad by his experiences in WWII. He deals with issues like bigotry and sexual suppression in a believable manner. We come to know him as a good man, but never a self-righteous one. The pursuit of justice is his job, and he’s good at it, but he never loses sight of where his next woman, or his next drink, is coming from. Harkness is the keeper of secrets in his little town and to solve the crime, he must decide which secrets to expose. One secret involves Judge Barnes, the county’s most powerful man. But Harkness had a secret of his own: he’s in love with the Judge’s wife. How much is Harkness willing to risk to catch a murderer?

Set on the Oregon High Desert in 1952, life in the small town of Barnesville has been easy-going for Matthew until a star-crossed teen-age couple disappears and he’s forced to deal with some horrific murders, one of which strikes very close to home, before finally confronting the killer man-to-man on the High Desert.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

ABOUT MICHAEL BIGHAM

Raised in the mill town of Prineville in Central Oregon beneath blue skies and rimrocks, Michael Bigham attended the University of Oregon and during his collegiate summers, fought range fires on the Oregon high desert for the Bureau of Land Management. He worked as a police officer with the Port of Portland and after leaving police work, obtained an MFA degree in Creative Writing from Vermont College. Michael lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and daughter. Harkness is his first novel.

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER

My Thoughts:

Harkness: A High Desert Mystery is about Matt Harkness, Sheriff of Barnesville in 1952 and his dog Addison..A young girl is brutally murdered and her boyfriend is missing. It is his job to find whoever murdered the girl and find her missing boyfriend. One murder leads to three, including one who is Harkness's secret love. In this small town there are a lot of suspects and Matt finds the task getting more difficult as each suspect is eliminated. This is a story full of secrets, illicit love affairs and great amount of alcohol consumed by the sheriff. It was refreshing reading a story that did not have cell phones, computers or other technology but it does have a likeable sheriff, his dog and his `39' Chevy pickup Harkness calls Hoopie. A suspenseful, fun read...I do love a great mystery and this debut novel shouts 'series'. I recommend it highly.

I received a copy of this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Kickstarter Launch Blast!!

2013-06-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

********* WE INTERUPT THE SCHEDULED BLOG POSTS TO BRING YOU THIS ANNOUNCEMENT *********** SPREAD THE WORD TO ENTER TO WIN $100 ******** PLUS - HOW TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO RECEIVE NICOLE GROTEPAS' NEW BOOK **********

Hey everyone! I'm borrowing this blog for a moment to invite people to sign up for the Kickstarter Launch Blast we're organizing together to spread the word on the publishing campaign for my new book: A Boat Made of Bone.

Kat Miller has been having recurring dreams about the same man . . . a dead man. Will Marks, to be exact, a celebrity who died long before Kat had any reason to pay attention to celebrities.

While the night-world she enjoys with Will beckons, her waking world has suddenly gotten intriguing. Ty Watts--a guy with looks that could set a thousand housewives free--just walked into her life. He's got a smile that hides a secret Kat wants to know.

But is Ty a distraction or a savior?

Kat's dreams threaten to take over. She must negotiate the edge of reality, solve the mystery of her nightly rendezvous with Will and either set him free or lose herself forever in the seductively dangerous world he inhabits.

A Boat Made of Bone is a love story that spans worlds, generations, and reaches beyond death into the realm of fantasy.

--This book contains mature themes that may not be suitable for those under 18.

SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT:

1 - Share this super-fun announcement with me, Nicole Grotepas! (Details in form below)

2 - Post the campaign launch on June 22nd (Details via email)

3 - Share fun subject-to-change sidebar graphics as the campaign grows!

THE CAMPAIGN:

The intent of the Kickstarter campaign is to raise funds through pledges (each pledge secures some type of copy of A Boat Made of Bone) to finalize publication of the book. There are various reward levels ranging from a $1 pledge, to $10 pledges all the way up to $2000 with many stops in between. There's something for everyone!

There are also unlockable rewards for pledgers at each $5000 level such as more chapters from the book and reward add-ons ranging from posters of the cover art to tote bags with the cover art. Be a part of all the excitement!

THE GIVEAWAY:

Every blogger who participates in sharing this announcement will be entered in a drawing for a $100 Amazon GC or Paypal Cash.

Enter again by posting the Kickstarter June 22nd!

This is separate from the rewards offered in the campaign - to be among the first to receive Nicole Grotepas' new book, be sure to check out the Kickstarter, too... choose your pledge and secure your copy of A Boat Made of Bone!

READY TO SIGN UP?

Fill out this awesome form designed by Prism Book Tours and we'll enter you in the drawing for $100 and you'll hear from us soon!

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*********** RETURN TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG POSTS ************

SSP Anthology Extravagaza Spotlight

2013-06-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Editor Bios

Alexander S. Brown

Alexander S. Brown is a Mississippi author who was published in 2008. His first book, Traumatized, is a short story collection that has received rave reviews from horror fans throughout America. Although, Brown began as a horror author, he has recently published two young adult steampunk tales, which can be found in the anthologies, Dreams of Steam 2: Brass and Bolts, as well as, Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells. His poem, “Maters” was later published in the magazine, Midnight Screaming Volume 3, #4. Brown says there are more works on the way as he plans to write a series of novels chronicling the lives of residents in a town that is damned. Eventually, he will pen a fantasy/horror trilogy.

J.L Mulvihill

J L Mulvihill is the author of the young adult fantasy novel, The Lost Daughter of Easa, published through Kerlak Publishing. Other stories J L has written and had published includes, Chilled Meat, a steampunk thriller, found in Dreams of Steam II-Of Bolts and Brass, anthology; The Leprechaun’s Story, a steampunk urban fantasy found in the anthology, Clockwork, Spells, & Magical Bells. A Real Dragon and Magic in The Ozarks, found in Memories and Dreams published by The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs, AR; Jen’s Spicy Crawfish Bisque, found in It’s All about Food with a Mississippi Twist, published through the Clinton Ink-Slingers; and The Proud Oak, published through the Gulf Coast Writer’s Association.

J L Mulvihill has written several articles for Examiner.com as the Jackson Literature Examiner. She is also an event’s coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower, a volunteer organization of authors and artists who promote their own publications while lending a hand to other writers and artists. J L Mulvihill is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Arts Council of Clinton, the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group, and the Java Jotters.

J L is currently working on her second novel, Elsindai, as well as her young adult steampunk series, Steel Roots, and an anthology project with horror author Alexander S. Brown entitled Southern Haunts. She also continues to write short stories in the fantasy, steampunk, horror, and sci/fi genre, as well as poetry inspired by her life in Mississippi. She has also been known to Karaoke from time to time when she thinks no one is looking.

Webpage: http://www.elsielind.com/

Social Media Links for Seventh Star Press

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/seventhstarpress

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/7thstarpress

Website: http://www.seventhstarpress.com

Blog: http://seventhstarpress.blogspot.com

Synopsis:
Southern Haunts (editors Alexander S. Brown and J.L. Mulvihill): From the shadowed realms of the paranormal comes 16 chilling tales that dwell in the South and Southwest. Resurrected in your very hands are stories that will make you laugh, ponder, and shiver as the reader is introduced to spirits that are humorous, saddened, and vengeful.

From 16 authors, learn of haunted homes, buildings, landmarks and roads where restless entities from beyond the grave desire acknowledgement amongst the living.

Become acquainted with the aftermath of an eclipse that awakens the dead in a Memphis cemetery, see what horrors dwell in the woods at Hell’s Gate, learn the dark secrets of Sidney’s Cotton, and dare to travel down Ghost Road.

These and many other tales are sure to keep you awake as you are introduced to what makes the South and South West so unique…. History and GHOSTS!!!!!

So, sit back, dim the lights and prepare yourself to face the spirits that walk among us.

Featured stories and authors in Southern Haunts:

Windsong Levitch – “Interview for a Ghost Hunter”

H. David Blalock – “An Eclipse Over Elmwood”

Richard Parks – “Sydney’s Cotton”

Jason Hughes – “Ghost Road”

Herika R. Raymer – “Cal’s Cutoff”

Diane Ward – “The Shack”

Roland Mannn – “Haints”

L.S. Nadler – “You Will Come to Meet Your Demise”

M.R. Williamson – “Hell’s Gate”

William R. Eakin – “Maddness”

Roman Merry – “Wellspring”

Kalila Smith – “The Bequest”

Miguel L. Viscarra – “The Cleansing”

J.L. Mulvihill – “Bath 10″

Angela Lucius – “Nightmares at Moccasin Bend”

Alexander S. Brown – “The Top Floor”

Southern Haunts Tour Segment

May 16 Jay Wilburn Blog Guest Post

May 17 Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews Interview

May 18 The Dan O’Brien Project Promo-Spotlight

May 20 Book in the Bag Review

May 21 Spellbound by Books Excerpt

May 22 Darlene’s Book Nook Guest Post

May 26 Kentucky Geek Girl Interview

June 1 Babs Book Bistro Excerpt

June 2 Beagle Book Space Promo-Spotlight

June 3 Reading Away the Days Review

June 10 Spellbindings Guest Post

June 12 Celticlady’s Reviews Promo-Spotlight

June 13 The Witchy Contessa Review

June 14 Word to Dreams Guest Post

June 16 I Smell Sheep Guest Post

June 17 Bookishly Me Review

June 19 Recent Reads Review

Tomorrow Comes Media

When it's Least Expected by Heather Van Fleet Spotlight

2013-06-11T12:17:00.003-07:00

Moving on after a tragedy can be impossible – especially when you’ve been dealing with those tragedies for over two years. But it’s her senior year, and Harley Anderson is more than ready to do just that, even though the skeletons in her closet can’t exactly be hidden.

Enter Mason Daniel, the egotistical, sexy, surfer boy from California – a boy with his own hidden demons, and even bigger secret agenda.

Mason isn’t right for Harley. He knows this better than anyone. He’s the epitome of a runner–a guy who takes what he can get, only to split a short while later. But he can’t deny the emotions that Harley brings out of him, so he’s going to break his rules for once.

He should have known what it would lead to… Two kindred souls – both lost and then found. Will they fail, once again, in their search for contentment and happiness, or will they finally find true love, when it’s least expected?

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About the Author:

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three daughters, Kelsey, Emma, and Isabella, and her fabulous hubby (and high school sweetheart) Chris, with whom she’s been blissfully married to now for ten plus years. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

Tristis Manor by J.R.Wagner Review for JKS Communications

2013-06-10T19:35:00.001-07:00

Margaret lives in a constant state of fear. Fear of her mother, whose constant state of anger and unwillingness to speak of Margaret’s past have long since pushed Margaret away. Fear of disappointing her father should he ever discover the events of that day. Most of all, Margaret lives in fear of her abuser’s return. Margaret turns to self-harm to cope with her pain and fear. Only when her self-inflicted injuries bring her near death does she realize she has the power and the support from an unlikely place to stand up to her fears and believe in herself again.

Tristis Manor is a novella from The Never Chronicles, an epic fantasy series.

J.R. Wagner will be supporting the wonderful charity RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) with book sales made between March 20 – July 20, so please help spread the word!

For More Information, Please Visit TheNeverChronicles.com!

My Thoughts:

Tristis Manor is a novella who's main character is Margaret, who lives in fear of her mother, who is verbally and physically abusive to her. A story that has Margaret hurting herself and embarassed because she is still wetting the bed at her age, ever since the 'incident', as she calls it. I figured out what the incident was early in the story and felt so bad for what she has to deal with and then when her mother has another child, I applauded Margaret for wanting to protect her little sister from the cruelty that is Margaret's every day life. There is a lot of story packed into 97 pages with an ending that I never saw coming but it was the right outcome I think. Physical, emotional and mental cruelty is never right but it seems to be more heartbreaking when it is a child that is abused in such a cruel and heartless manner. I applaud the author for writing about this topic in a sensitive way.

I received a copy of this novella for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Parallax View by Allan Leverone Review

2013-06-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's late in the Cold War, and the Soviet Union is slowly disintegrating.

In the midst of this uncertainty and upheaval, a mysterious group of KGB officials has concocted a desperate plan in an attempt to maintain power.

And one beautiful young CIA operative is all that stands between this shadowy cabal and the outbreak of World War Three.

Spring, 1987. CIA Special Operations agent Tracie Tanner is tasked with what should be a relatively straightforward mission: deliver a secret communique from Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

After smuggling the document out of East Germany, Tracie believes she is in the clear. She's wrong. There are shadowy forces at work, influential people who will stop at nothing to prevent the explosive information contained in the letter from reaching the White House.

Soon, Tanner is knee-deep in airplane crashes and murder, paired up with a young Maine air traffic controller and on the run for their lives, unsure who she can trust at CIA, but committed to completing her mission, no matter the cost.

You can visit Allan's website at www.allanleverone.com.

From Allan's Website:

I've been fascinated by the power of the written word my whole life, penning my first thriller somewhere around the age of ten. In this short story, a young man gets lost in the woods during a fierce winter snowstorm and his body is found months later huddled against a tree, a single teardrop frozen onto his dead cheek. I suppose this gives you a fairly accurate insight into my genre sensibilities.

I attended the University of Notre Dame with the intention of majoring in newspaper journalism before changing direction after my freshman year and majoring in Business Administration, a degree I received in 1981 and have to this day never put to use.

After graduation, and despite having never set foot inside an airplane, I was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration and began training as an air traffic controller, a job I have held ever since, working in Providence, Rhode Island, Bangor, Maine, and, for the last twenty years controlling traffic at Boston's Logan International Airport.

I am a proud member of the International Thriller Writers, New England Horror Writers and Short Mystery Fiction Society, I live in Londonderry, New Hampshire with my beautiful wife of nearly thirty years, Sue, our three children, one granddaughter, and Midnight the Miracle Cat, who has survived more adventures than the rest of us combined.

BUY ONLINE

My Thoughts

Parallax View: "The apparent displacement of an object caused by a change in the position from which it is viewed".

Who can you trust?? To me this is part of what this book is about, as in the story the protagonist, Tracie Tanner finds herself in this tenuous situation. She is only supposed to deliver a letter from Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to the U.S President Ronald Reagan, but what occurs along the way is very frightening. Why would Gorbachev be sending a letter that no one knows the content besides him. Tracie is ordered not to open the letter under any circumstance and as a CIA agent she does what she is assigned to do and protects that letter with her life.

The other part of the book to me is loyalty.
Loyalty
"Faithfulness or devotion to some person, cause or nation."

Tracie is rescued by a young, air traffic controller, Shane Rowley. He pulls her out of the plane that crashed suspiciously as she was on her way to deliver the letter. Unbeknownst to Shane, he will be on the ride of his life. These two people are both very loyal to their country so they will do whatever it takes to see that the letter reaches President Reagan.

Parallax View takes the reader on the ride of your life. I was around of course in 1987 so I remember the Cold War mostly from movies and books. This finely researched and written fictional account of the CIA, KGB and higher up government officials in the year 1987 make for a fast paced thriller that I could not put down. I love Mr.Leverone's style of writing as the story does not lag but keeps the reader wanting more. I can almost see a sequel to this story...

I received a copy of this book for review from Pump Up Your Book Tours and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

BookRix Promo!!

2013-06-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

BookRix is THE top book community. We connect authors and readers:
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BookRix YA Contest “Be The Best (Seller) You Can Be!”

Writing is your talent, your skill, and your greatness! Unfortunately, being an Indie Author comes with a downside: The grueling task of self-marketing. It’s a big, book-filled world out there, and without marketing, readers won’t know about you or your work. It’s kinda hard to be a Best Seller when nobody knows about your book, so let’s get you noticed!

Entering this contest could ease some of the pressures of marketing because BookRix will help you get your book out there to the world. Yes, we're cool like that!

PRIZES:

The top 2 winners in this “Be The Best (Seller)” contest will each receive a MARKETING PACKAGE for special book promotions, when their winning book is self-published via BookRix. This Marketing Package includes being featured on the BookRix website /blog/Twitter & Facebook fan pages/newsletter, external book reviews, possible blog tours and exposure on external sites with a possible feature in an eBook shop. A custom cover and editing service could also be thrown into the mix because, like we said, we are cool like that!

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Restrike by Reba White Williams Review for JKS Communications

2013-06-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

Money and murder go hand in glove in the rarified art world of Reba White Williams’ exciting first novel, Restrike.

Cousins Coleman and Dinah Greene moved from North Carolina to New York after college to make their mark on the art world: Coleman is the editor of an influential arts magazine and Dinah is the owner of a print gallery in Greenwich Village. But their challenges are mounting as one of Coleman's writers is discovered selling story ideas to a competitor and The Greene Gallery is in the red because sales are down.

When billionaire Heyward Bain arrives with a glamorous assistant, announcing plans to fund a fine print museum, Coleman is intrigued and plans to get to know Bain and publish an article about him. Dinah hopes to sell him enough prints to save her gallery. At the same time, swindlers, attracted by Bain’s lavish spending, invade the print world to grab some of his money.

When a print dealer dies in peculiar circumstances, Coleman is suspicious, but she can’t persuade the NYPD crime investigator of a connection between the dealer’s death and Bain’s buying spree. After one of Coleman’s editors is killed and Coleman is attacked, the police must acknowledge the connection, and Coleman becomes even more determined to discover the truth about Bain. In an unforgettable final scene, Coleman risks her life to expose the last deception threatening her, her friends, and the formerly tranquil print world.

Reba White Williams has written articles for American Artist, Art and Auction, Print Quarterly and Journal of the Print World. She served on the Print Committees of The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum and The Whitney Museum. She was a member of the Editorial Board of Print Quarterly, and is an Honorary Keeper of American Prints at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University.

Williams grew up in Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina. She graduated from Duke University and her ambition at 21 years old led her to New York, where she began writing about art, business and finance. Williams eventually earned her MBA from Harvard, MA in Art History from Hunter, PhD in Art History from the Graduate Center, CUNY, and MA in Fiction Writing from Antioch University.

She worked as a library assistant, researcher at a management-consulting firm, a Wall Street securities analyst and writer for Institutional Investor magazine and other financial publications, and her expertise and passion for the arts led Williams to write a mystery novel series revolving around art fraud. The first book, Restrike, releases June 2013.

Williams has served as President of the New York City Art Commission and Vice Chairman of the New York State Council on the Arts. In 2009, most of her and her husband’s collection—about 5,000 prints—was donated to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

She and her husband founded the annual Willie Morris Award for best Southern fiction, now in its sixth year. With her husband and their dog Muffin, who is fictionalized in her books, Williams divides her time between New York, Connecticut and Palm Springs.

RebaWhiteWilliams.com

My Thoughts

Restrike: a new print made from an old lithograph stone medal or the like....

I never knew that, but I know nothing about art except that some of it is pretty and there are a lot of talented artists, past and present. Once I started reading Restrike not only did I learn a bit about art but it was easy to see that the author definitely knows about the art world. This is a mystery story about the art world,art magazines,and high society. Thrown into the mix of course are greedy people who take what doesn't belong to them, all for money. There is enough interesting characters, good and bad that keep the reader wanting to continue. I read this book within a 24 hour period. Easy to read but well written. I love reading a book that once I am immersed into it, it is a pleasure to read. I would definitely read more by this author.

I accepted this book for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

JKSCommunications

A literary publicity firm

The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen by Joan Strasbaugh Review for Sourcebooks

2013-06-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

It's Jane like you've never seen! Through fun and breezy lists, discover everything there is to know about Jane Austen, the sassy literary genius we know and love. Learn her likes and dislikes, her haves and have-nots, where she traveled, how she lived, and who she knew.

With a wealth of little-known and fascinating information, find out:

-Her friends and her beaux
-Every place she lived or visited
-Books in her library
-Her quirks
-The last lines of everything she wrote
-and much more!

This book is unique in that it’s a series of quotes and quips from Jane’s life and as I was reading through the book, I was amazed at the wealth of information and research that went into this delightful little book. We know what Jane Austen wrote but how often do we really learn about an author, especially those from long ago...I think that this book will appeal to anyone interested in Jane Austen, her life and her legacy. I highly recommend it!!

Below is just a sampling of what is in this book!!

Possessions

Books She Owned

· From A Bibliography of Jane Austen by David Gilson

· The Spectator, Vol. 6, 1744

· Orlando furioso: Translated from the Italian; with Notes, John Hoole, Lodovico Ariosto, 1783

· Hermsprong; or, Man as He Is Not, Robert Bage, 1796

· Travels from Saint Petersburg in Russia, to Diverse Parts of Asia, John Bell, 1764

· L’ami des enfans, Arnaud Berquin, 1782–-83

· L’ami de l’adolescence (suite de L’ami des enfans), Arnaud Berquin, 1784–-85

· Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth, Fanny Burney, 1796

· Curiosities of Literature, Isaac D’Israeli, 1791

· Fables choisies, Anon., before 1783

· An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature, Oliver Goldsmith, 1774

· The History of England, from Earliest Times to the Death of George II, Oliver Goldsmith, 1771

· Poems and Plays, William Hayley, 1785

· The History of Goody Two--Shoes, Anon., ca. 1780

· The History of England, David Hume, 1759–-62

· The Prince of Abissinia. A Tale, Samuel Johnson, 1759

· The Works of the Marchioness de Lambert. Carefully Translated from the French, Anne Thérèse Lambert, 1749

· The History of Sir Charles Grandison, Samuel Richardson, 1754

· The Works of James Thomson, with His Last Corrections and Improvements, James Thomson, 1773

· A Companion to the Altar: Shewing the Nature & Necessity of a Sacramental Preparation in Order to Our Worthy Receiving the Holy Communion, to Which Are Added Prayers and Meditations, William Vickers, 1793?

· Excursions from Bath, Richard Warner, 1801

Remaining artifacts

Items belonging to her on display at
Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton Cottage

· Eight music books, some copied out in Jane’s hand, some printed music

· Framed lock of her father’s hair

· Topaz cross, given to her by brother Charles

· Pinchbeck bracelet of small blue and ivory beads; pinchbeck is an alloy of copper and zinc invented by Christopher Pinchbeck in the 1700s; also known as false gold

· Pink glass muff chain

· Ivory cup and ball

· Mourning brooch with Jane’s hair, inscribed “JA December 16th 1775–-July 1817”

· Lock of Jane’s hair

· Tripod writing table

“After we had been here a quarter of an hour it was discovered that my writing and dressing boxes had been by accident put into a chaise which was just packing off as we came in, and were driven away towards Gravesend in their way to the West Indies. No part of my property could have been such a prize before, for in my writing--box was all my worldly wealth, 7l., and my dear Harry’s deputation.”

—-Jane to Cassandra, October 24, 1798,
from the Bull and George in Dartford

· Her Writing Desk

o Portable writing desk owned by Jane AustenCurrently housed at the British Library

· Jane’s Pelisse

o Pelisse, a coat worn over a dress or gown, owned by Jane Austen c. 1814

o Currently housed at the Hampshire Museum

o Silk

o Twill weave

o Small repeat pattern of oak leaves in gold on warm brown background

o Oak--leaf motif was popular at the time and symbolized the strength of the navy and the nation as a whole

o Long sleeves gathered at the top but close fitting at the elbow

o Bright yellow cord along the front edge and around the wrists

o High standing collar

o Open front with no fastenings

o Lined in white silk

“In around 1875 Jane’s niece Marianne Knight was visited by a family friend, Miss Eleanor Glubbe, later Mrs Steele. Marianne gave the pelisse to Miss Glubbe during the visit. In later years Mrs Steele wished to return the pelisse to the Austen family and sent it to Mrs Winifred Jenkyns, a great granddaughter of James Austen, Jane’s eldest brother, with a note that reads, ‘I missed the little coat for a long time but lately it turned up. I cannot remember if it was “Jane’s” but it seems probable.’

“This particular pelisse was presumably given to Edward by Cassandra then handed down to his daughter, Marianne. That she gave it to her friend, Miss Glubbe, who made sure that it was returned to the Austen/Knight family argues an acknowledged obligation on her part. The pelisse was then handed down through the family until 1993, when it was given to the Hampshire County Council Arts & Museums Service.”

—-Hampshire Museums Service

· Jane Austen’s Ring

Turquoise ring

Purchased at auction
by American pop singer
Kelly Clarkson on July 10, 2012

Bought for £152,450, about $236,000

Sotheby’s
Catalogue
Notes & Provenance

PRINT LOT 59, AUSTEN, JANE. A GOLD AND GEM SET RING

152,450 GBP (Hammer Price with Buyer’s Premium)

Set with a cabochon blue stone, natural turquoise, size K½ with sizing band, once belonging to Jane Austen, in a contemporary jeweller’s box (“T. West | Goldsmith | Ludgate Street | near St Paul’s”)

With an autographed note signed by Eleanor Austen, to her niece Caroline Austen, ‘My dear Caroline. The enclosed Ring once belonged to your Aunt Jane. It was given to me by your Aunt Cassandra as soon as she knew that I was engaged to your Uncle. I bequeath it to you. God bless you!’, November 1863, with address panel on verso and remains of black wax seal impression, fold tears; also with three further notes by Mary Dorothy Austen--Leigh detailing the ring’s later provenance, 5 pages, 1935–-1962.

PROVENANCE: Jane Austen (1775–-1817); her sister Cassandra (1773–-1845); given in 1820 to her sister--in--law Eleanor Austen (née Jackson), second wife of Rev. Henry Thomas Austen (d. 1864); given in 1863 to her niece Caroline Mary Craven Austen (1805–-1880, the daughter of Rev. James Austen); her niece Mary A. Austen--Leigh (perhaps first to her mother Emma Austen--Leigh, née Smith); her niece Mary Dorothy Austen--Leigh; given to her sister Winifred Jenkyns on 27 March 1962; thence by descent.

CATALOGUE NOTE: An intimate personal possession of Jane Austen’s, hitherto unknown to scholars, that has remained with the author’s descendants until the present day. The stone has been identified as natural turquoise but was initially thought to be odontalite, a form of fossilised dentine that has been heated to give it a distinctive blue colour, which came into fashion in the early 19th century as a substitute for turquoise. It is an attractive but simply designed piece, befitting not only its owner’s modest income but also what is known of her taste in jewellery.

On Jane’s death her jewellery, along with other personal possessions, passed to Cassandra, and she appears to have given a number of pieces as mementos.”

Things She Made

Framed lock of her father’s hair

· Needle case inscribed “With Aunt Jane’s love”

· Embroidered lace collar

· Handkerchief embroidered with floral sprig and initials C.A.

· Indian muslin scarf embroidery

· Patchwork quilt made by Jane, Cassandra, and Mrs. Austen

“Have you remembered to collect pieces for the Patchwork?”

—-Jane to Cassandra, May 31, 1811

Known Remaining Manuscripts and Letters

· Juvenilia, 1787–1793

· Volume the First housed at the Bodleian Library, Oxford

· Volume the Second, British Library

· Volume the Third, British Library

· The History of England, 1791, British Library

· Sir Charles Grandison or The Happy Man, a Comedy, Chawton House Library

· Lady Susan, complete draft, paper watermark of 1805, Morgan Library

· Susan title page, Susan is the precursor to Northanger Abbey, 1803?, Morgan Library

· The Watsons, about 1804, Morgan Library, Bodleian Library

· Plan of a Novel, about 1815, Morgan Library

· Poem on Captain Foote’s marriage to Miss Patten, in Jane’s hand, but composed by her uncle, Morgan Library

· Two chapters of Persuasion, 1816, British Library

· Sanditon, 1817, Cambridge University

· Opinions of Mansfield Park, British Library

· Opinions of Emma, British Library

· Profits of My Novels, a tally of her earnings, 1817,
Morgan Library

· 161 letters

John Dante's Inferno, a Playboy's Life by Anthony Valerio Spotlight

2013-06-04T21:04:00.002-07:00

About the Book

The life of one of the Great Lovers of all time, John Dante lived the life of a bachelor's fantasy, going from his humble beginnings in a small Italian village to the Playboy Mansion, where he lived for 26 years with Hugh Hefner and 40 of the most beautiful women in the world. John Dante was a key figure in the first years of the Playboy empire, hiring Bunnies, training Bunny Mothers, and managing the Playboy jet. He befriended some of the most popular and important figures of our time, including Hugh Hefner, whom John paints as a "fascinating, complex man," as well as Shel Silverstein, Lenny Bruce, Don Adams, James Caan and myriad other personalities and stars. A first hand, inside look at the phenomenon of Playboy from the second-in-command.

About Anthony Valerio

Anthony Valerio is the author of eight books of fiction and nonfiction, including the cult classics THE MEDITERRANEAN RUNS THROUGH BROOKLYN & VALENTINO & THE GREAT ITALIANS. His bestselling BART: A Life of A. Bartlett Giamatti was praised by Larry King: "A wonderful read." His short stories have appeared in the Paris Review and in several anthologies and readers. About Anthony Valerio's work the legendary children's book author Shel Silvertein said: "He knows his craft: he gets in, tells his story & gets out. It's what good writing should be."Mr. Valerio was a book editor in major publishing houses, including McGraw-Hill. He has taught creative writing at New York University the City University of New York & Wesleyan University. He lectures widely in the United States and Europe & has been a fiction judge at PEN. He is a member of the Author's Guild.

You can visit Anthony Valerio's website at

www.anthonyvalerio.com

Blood Drama By Christopher Meeks Interview and Spotlight

2013-06-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to have Christopher Meeks, author of Blood Drama here at Celticladysreviews.....

How did you get the idea for the novel?

This is my third novel, and the first two were loosely based on events in my life, specifically, a time I moved from California to start a mini-mart in a trailer park in Alabama (The Brightest Moon of the Century) and four years before that, I’d moved to Denmark to live with my girlfriend, whom I had met in Minnesota (Love at Absolute Zero.) I could laugh about both later.

I had never been to either the South or Denmark before those trips, so my novels were partly fish-out-of-water stories, which, in hindsight, had even sometimes been the focus of my short stories. I’m drawn to stories of relationships, too, so romance is an element in my novels. That’s because in general, I believe men are often clueless, and it’s lucky women in their lives help them.

Without consciously thinking about these elements, these things fell into Blood Drama. The idea of the book came from my habit of correcting my college students’ English papers at a local Starbucks, which was inside the lobby of a bank. I loved the atmosphere—the fireplace, the marble, the wainscoting. Then one day it occurred to me that banks get robbed, and why was I always hanging out in one? That led to the idea of what would happen if I had a hapless grad student taken hostage in a bank robbery gone awry? He’d be forced into a new reality.

My stories on the surface appear “easy,” which is to say visceral and fun, but, like Flannery O’Conner short stories, there’s more there. I believe in the power of stories; they can reveal small truths of the human condition that add up to something. My goal is to make stories that pull the reader along, and after they’re over, there are things that stick.

What kind of research did you have to do to bring this story to life on the page?

As a former journalist, I love research. Before I started this, I didn’t know anything about banks or bank robbery. Because my bank was in South Pasadena, California, I emailed a detective in the South Pasadena police department, who, after he heard who I was and what I was doing, told me that bank robbery was a federal crime and the FBI would be instantly involved. He introduced me to an FBI agent, who I met with and learned a lot. I later found a recently retired FBI agent who had specialized in bank robbery, and he, too, answered my questions and even read the first draft of the novel to make sure it was accurate as far as the FBI was concerned. I read many books and articles to get the facts right.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

This question isn’t as easy to answer as it may seem. I created the title first, but in the end, it wasn’t the title I used.

This book started after I’d finished the fifth and final draft of Love at Absolute Zero, after five years and trips to Madison, Wisconsin and to Denmark to do research.

When it came to the new novel, I decided it would be in Los Angeles. I looked out my window and could see Mt. Washington. There, I thought. I then came up with the title Falling Down Mt. Washington. In the end, thanks to marketing people more brilliant than me, the book became Blood Drama, which is much more appropriate for a thriller than my working title. Yet it was my working title that fuelled me through the writing of the book.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

I enjoy writing, but I’m most anxious in the first draft. That’s because even with an outline, I’m not sure it’ll all work. There are days where the writing is so interesting that I’m convinced I can do this forever. Then there are days where it goes more slowly, and I feel tentative.

My favorite part is rewriting because I know in general that things are working, and I’m just making it all better. I’ll come up with things I didn’t think about in the first draft and really feel it’s going well. As I write this, I’m eager to get back to rewriting my next novel, a mystery.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

Absolutely. In fact, I’m always on the lookout for new favorite authors and books. That’s because I also teach English, and one of the challenges I’ve given myself is that each semester, I want to teach two interesting, can’t-put-‘em-down novels that I’ve never taught before, one by a man, the other by a woman. My hope is that I can fire up my students to like reading novels. New books keeps me on my toes.

I love it when students get so excited that they read faster than my assignments call for. Some of them hadn’t realized that stories could grab them so much. I’ve had a handful of students over the years come up to me after class admitting they’d never read a whole novel before. One told me, “It’s like a movie, but it’s in my head.”

I use a novel from each gender for two reasons. One is early on I realized that most of my favorite novels were by men, and that I’d been taught only male authors. I needed to find the great female authors. Second, I have the notion that there are simply intangible and powerful forces at work in terms of gender and point of view. Those things might be clearer when we have two contrasting books.

To get to your question, some of my favorite books, ones that have influenced me as a writer, include Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and her MaddAdam books, now a trilogy. One of my touchstones is Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried because the military draft had been real for me, and my class was the last in the Vietnam draft. His book shows possibilities of where I could have been if I’d gone to Vietnam. I love Kurt Vonnegut’s books because he sees the world much as I do, in an absurdist light. Humor can carry us through pain. His Cat’s Cradle is one I’ve taught.

In fact, a lot of my favorite books I’ve taught, including Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. In terms of genre, I like Michael Connelly and Raymond Chandler’s mysteries. I’m a huge fan of Flannery O’Connor and Raymond Carver’s short stories. I’m caught sailing somewhere between realism and dark social commentary. For a list of the books I’ve used in my classes that had positive and even eager student response, I made a list on Amazon. To see it, click here.

This fall, I won’t be using novels but memoirs: Just Kids by Patti Smith and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

Thank you Christopher!!!

About Blood Drama

Publisher: White Wiskers Press (June 15, 2013)

Category: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Crime Thriller

Tour Date: Mid May- Mid June, 2013

Available in: Print & eBook, 242 pages

Everyone has a bad day. Graduate student Ian Nash has lost his girlfriend in addition to being dropped from a Ph.D. program in theatre at a Southern California university. When he stops at a local coffee shop in the lobby of a bank to apply for a job, the proverbial organic matter hits the fan. A gang of four robs the bank, and things get bloody. Ian is taken hostage by the robbers when the police show up. Now he has to save his life.

FBI Special Agent Aleece Medina's analysis of the bloody bank heist drives her into the pursuit of a robbery gang headed by two women. She doesn't anticipate how this robbery will pit her against both the bandits and the male higher-ups in the FBI while the media heats up during a giant manhunt.

The robbers are about to kill Ian, and all he has at hand is his knowledge of the stage.

About Christopher Meeks:

Christopher Meeks first published short fiction in a number of literary journals, and the stories are available in two collections,The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea andMonths and Seasons. Recently, he’s focused on novels. The Brightest Moon of the Century is a story of a man who yearns for love and success, covering over thirty years—a tale that Marc Schuster of Small Press Reviews describes as “a great and truly humane novel in the tradition of Charles Dickens and John Irving.” His last novel, Love At Absolute Zero, is about a physicist who uses the tools of science to find his soul mate–and he has just three days. Critic Grady Harp calls the book “a gift.” The new novel, Blood Drama, has him edge into a thriller. Meeks also runs White Whisker Books and publishes four authors.

Christopher at the Red Room: http://redroom.com/member/christopher-meeks
Christopher’s Website www.chrismeeks.com

Christopher on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/christopher.meeks1?fref=ts
Christopher on Twitter https://twitter.com/MeeksChris

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books May 13 Review & Giveaway
Books, Books & More Books May 14 Review
Books, Books & More Books May 15 Interview
Alive on the Shelves May 16 Review
Ordinary Girls May 17 Review
DWED Blog May 20 Review
DWED Blog May 21 Interview
She Treads Softly May 22 Review
Darlene’s Book Nook May 24th Interview &Giveaway
Green Mountain May 27 Review
Book Lover’s Library May 28 Review
Book Lover’s Library May 29 Interview & Giveaway
Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks June 3 Review
Celtic Lady June 4 Interview
OmniMyMystery June 6 I
Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews June 10 Review
Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews June 11 Interview
I’d Rather be at the Beach June 12 Review & Giveaway
Self Taught Cook June 14 Review
Wormhole June 17 Review
Raging Bibliomania June 18 Review
Wormhole June 18 Interview & Giveaway

Alex and Katja: High and Mighty by Gordon Hooper Spotlight

2013-06-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

About the Book

Alex and Katija are quite the pair. Selfish, cruel, greedy, sleazy and violent-why, the negative adjectives could easily fill a small volume of their own. Over the top, always offensive and never politically correct-their sole redeeming quality is, they are not child molesters.

Alex is heir and owner of the Holstein Private Investigation Agency, located in Stockholm, Sweden. While he is the agency's brains, Katija provides the brawn, as resident henchwoman. Their setup is sweet, with a never-ending supply of clients appearing at their doorstep and asking for help, only to be swindled out of their money, robbed, or beaten, and then sent on their way. Except some who, wrapped in chains, are dumped into the murky waters of nearby Nybro Viken.

Alex and Katija fight the natural as well as the supernatural-the only thing they really dread is the horrors of gainful employment. This threat is ever present as their finances are chronically atrocious, usually due to the black vacuum of the weekend, with all its powders and pills.

Their cases take them across the globe-so beware! There is NOWHERE to hide.

About Gordon

Gordon Hooper is a novice writer who usually bungles his way through the literary bog of his own creation. Most of his work is created solely to make people laugh,or at the very least smile. He tries to be offensive as often as humanly possible. When not – then he is most likely being semi-blackmailed by his publisher, who has a hell of a job in keeping us all out of jail and preventing the premises of New Libri from being torched.

You can visit Gordon's website at www.gordon-hooper.com.

Butterfly Tears: Stories of Entrapment to Empowerment

2013-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

About Butterfly Tears

So many women’s lives are shattered before they even have a chance to begin—girls who suffer childhood abuse, neglect, drug addiction, and despair. Since 1991, the Pathways to Independence Foundation has provided help, healing, and—most importantly—hope to these struggling young women.

Butterfly Tears reveals the gripping and intimate stories of nine brave Pathways women who found the strength to turn their dark, raging worlds around. Women who, against all odds, broke free of the destructive cycle of addiction and abuse to attain love, security, and successful lives—women who have emerged as lawyers, teachers, and counselors to joyfully give back to society.

These compelling gut-level transformations offer inspiration to anyone who has suffered life’s hardships—to the breaking point and beyond. And they prove that there is a way out. Especially for those with desire, drive, and the nurturing cocoon of an unparalleled organization like Pathways to Independence.

From Entrapment…

Abuse. Assault. Abandonment. Addiction. These are the histories of the young women in the inspiring book Butterfly Tears.

Some found themselves in gangs. Others in prison. Some remained trapped in the confines of an abusive family or a painful addiction. Society had given up on many of them.

But they hadn’t given up on themselves. These women were ready to take a different path. AndPathways to Independence was there to guide them.

…to Empowerment

Therapy. Mentorship. Education. Support. These are the bywords of this ground-breaking organization founded and led by Dave Bishop—a man who first had to conquer his own internal demons.

The butterfly symbology is derived from the famous parable The Story of the Butterfly about utilizing life’s struggles to emerge a stronger person. Butterfly Tears chronicles the stories of nine young women who faced that struggle head-on and, with the help of Pathways, emerged victorious.

These women’s incredible journeys from darkness into light will elicit both tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

Pathways’ motto is to focus on what’s right in the world: Caring people. Pathways’ all-volunteer network of therapists, doctors, mentors, and even mechanics provides the support these girls have never experienced—and allows them to flourish.

Hope. Freedom. Success. Independence. These are the gifts of Pathways.

From Lin:

"I grew up with severe familial abuse that culminating in my living in fear of my father killing me. I was so blessed to find the Pathways to Independence Foundation that helped me escape that situation. However, when I entered their program, my main goal was to get a college education. I could not even fathom the profound gift of healing they would provide. Through their love, support, and boundless assistance, I gained self-love, self-value, forgiveness, and a full and happy soul. My face, which once burned from a heavy hand, now burns from uncontrollable smiling and laughter.And through my own transformation, my family and an entire history of dysfunctional dynamics was also transformed. Who would have thought I could have a happy and healthy relationship with my once-abusive father? I am in living, breathing amazement of this and am witness to the powerfully positive healing that is possible in life."

To learn more about Butterfly Tears visit http://www.butterflytears.net/

June is Gay Pride Month!!

2013-06-01T15:59:00.001-07:00

This post is a step away from what I usually post, has nothing to do with reading, writing reviews, or books. Instead it is something that is near and dear to my heart...my daughter Kara and her partner Emily. Since June is Gay Pride Month I just wanted to let these two wonderful and beautiful ladies know that I love them both and I am so proud of who they are, even though they face many challenges being gay, they do it with love and faith that they will be accepted by everyone and will someday have the same rights that every other man and woman have...the right to love who they want!!

So this is for you Kara and Emily...I am re posting this video...love you both!!

When Smiles Fade by Paige Dearth Book Recommendation

2013-06-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

PAIGE DEARTH ROCKS THRILLER GENRE
National Indie Excellence Book Award Finalist 2013

About When Smiles Fade
Emma was unloved from the moment she was born. Her earliest memory is being severely beaten by her father, Pepper Murphy, when she was eight-years-old. Seething with resentment over the sacrifice of his dreams for a woman he cares little about and children he never wanted, Pepper chooses to blame his oldest daughter. Her mother, Valerie, makes matters worse with her verbal abuse, leaving Emma isolated with a man that had no boundaries in punishing his daughter, taking his abuse to unimaginable levels.

Emma's father's coldblooded beatings and the ultimate abuse to which he subjects her, lays the foundation of the person she becomes. As she matures into a resourceful teenager, she is unwilling and unable to stifle her desire for revenge. Reaching her breaking point she can no longer control the impulse to fight back and finally takes matters into her own hands.

Having learned the art of hatred from her father and the mastery of manipulation from her mother, young Emma now sets out to make a better life for herself, leaving the memory of the abused child she had once been behind her. Hardened by the heartless brutality she encounters and the dangerous situations she must overcome in the course of her journey, she faces every challenge that comes her way in her quest for a normal life for herself and for those she loves.

Finally a person emerges from within that guides her toward a better life until she learns of a secret that sets her on the path of ultimate redemption.

About Paige Dearth
Born and raised in Plymouth Meeting, a small town west of Philadelphia, Paige Dearth was a victim of child rape and spent her early years yearning for a better life. To escape the unwanted attentions of her molester, a pedophile uncle who lived with the family, she married at the age of nineteen and moved with her new husband to Chula Vista, California. After two years of marriage during which she struggled to make ends meet, she became pregnant, only to discover that her husband was a heroin addict. Paige waited for the birth of her daughter and when the baby was just eight months old, moved back to Pennsylvania. With no formal education or money to fall back on, she courageously set out to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and make it whole once more.

Living through the fear and isolation of her youth, Paige developed the ability to create stories that would help her cope and finally put them to use by embarking on a series of novels. Believe Like A Child, the author's debut offering, is the darkest version of who she could have become, had fate not intervened in the nick of time. It presents a fine balance between what lives on in her imagination and the evil that lurks in the real world.

www.paigedearth.com

Book recommendation only and not a review by me.

The Stonecutter by Camilla Lackberg Review

2013-05-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

The third psychological thriller from No 1 bestselling Swedish crime sensation Camilla Lackberg.

The remote resort of Fjallbacka has seen its share of tragedy, though perhaps none worse than that of the little girl found in a fisherman's net. But the post-mortem reveals that this is no case of accidental drowning!

Local detective Patrik Hedstrom has just become a father. It is his grim task to discover who could be behind the methodical murder of a child both he and his partner, Erica, knew well. He knows the real question - and answer - lies with why. What he does not know is how this case will reach into the dark heart of Fjallbacka and the town's past, and tear aside its idyllic facade, perhaps forever.

About the Author
Born in 1974, Camilla Läckberg graduated from Gothenburg University of Economics, before moving to Stockholm where she worked for a few years as an economist. However, a course in creative writing triggered a drastic change of career. Her first six novels all became Swedish No. 1 bestsellers. She lives in a suburb of Stockholm.

My Thoughts
This is the first book that I have read by Camilla Lackberg. I found this book to be kind of scary, especially when it involved the death of a child. It continues the story of local detective Patrik Hedström and his girlfriend, Erica Falck. There are quite a few characters along with a subplot of a stonecutters family. At first I was confused as to the purpose of this other story that at first did not seem to have anything to do with the main story. As the pages turned, and in my case that was pretty fast, I became to understand the reason for the story. This novel is about who killed a child and why..told in a very suspenseful way, of jealousy, hate and love in a town of dysfunctional people with real human emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed this chilling story and will definitely read more by Ms.Lackberg.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a review copy. I was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Jumper by Jeff LaFerney Spotlight

2013-05-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Blurb:

After spending three years in jail and others completely alone, twenty-four-year-old Cole Flint discovers an amazing ability—he can time-travel and teleport. He’s a jumper. So what should the motorcycle-riding, cage-fighting tough guy do? He should protect an innocent eighteen-year-old girl who happens to be in possession of the Staff of Moses. Following the direction of a trio of angels who are determined to shake things up in the Middle East, Cole pairs up with Hannah Carpenter and her pet grizzly while he also tries to change his past and learn the mystery of his birth. Curiously, the King of Jordan knows all about Hannah, and he’s determined to gain possession of the staff. He’ll do anything to possess its power, but is it possible that he’s no more than a pawn, manipulated in time along with Cole and Hannah? Jumper is a mysterious roller coaster of action and a time-traveling adventure that will keep readers guessing right to the very last page.

Author Bio:

Jeff has been a language arts teacher and coach for nearly twenty-seven years. He earned his English and teaching degrees from the University of Michigan-Flint and his master's degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He’s been married to his wife, Jennifer, for twenty-six years. They have two college-aged children, Torey and Teryn. Loving the Rain is his first suspense novel in the Clay and Tanner Thomas series. The second, Skeleton Key, and the third, Bulletproof, are paranormal mysteries. Jumper is a time-travel, action/adventure. He loves competing at sports, connecting to good books, and creating words that make people laugh.

Purchase links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

As the king’s car shifted into gear, Akmal-Adnan caught sight of the Carpenters making their way into the Church of Moses rather than back down the mountain. “Wait,” he ordered. “That girl…it’s her.” The order to hold was passed to the other drivers.

“It’s going to storm, Rich. Don’t you think this can wait until tomorrow?” Kristina asked.

“It’ll only take a minute. I’m dying to see it with my own eyes…photograph it. Don’t you want to touch it?”

Deafening thunder exploded, but Richard wasn’t to be denied. He withdrew his camera as the family entered the door to the historic stone church. There it was…with an increased, bright-blue hue. “Can you believe it?” he asked excitedly. An incredible bolt of lightning could be seen through the open remains of the uncanopied portion of the Basilica followed almost immediately by another tremendous explosion of thunder.

He slid his hand along the staff reverently as he shot picture after picture. It possessed breathtaking beauty. Purity emanated from the polished gem, and again, it seemed a living entity. The family, in awe and reverence, gathered around the staff in admiration. Another brilliant flash of lightning and a horrifying peel of thunder broke them from their trance.

“We need to go,” Sarah begged. “I’m scared.”

“Okay, you’re right. Let’s each give the thing a heft and get out of here.”

“It’s time,” Cassiel ordered Perisa. “Go to Cole Flint, and send him now.”

Perisa disappeared as Richard gave the staff a yank. It stood firm. Kristina tried next. Still, no movement occurred. Sarah nervously glanced to the sky as she gripped the staff and another thunderclap, louder than any other, shook the mountain. She gripped, yanking on the gem with no luck and then ran, her father and mother following closely behind her. They exited the church as huge drops of rain began to fall. Richard put his arms around his wife and daughter before realizing that Hannah wasn’t with them.

Hannah seemed under a trance. Her family fled before she could try to dislodge the staff herself. Slowly, she reached forward and grabbed hold with her right hand. She felt peace as her palm gripped the radiant gem. The staff was warm to the touch, as if it flowed with energy and power. It felt right in her hand, like a comfortable tool—as if it belonged to her. Only a mere few seconds passed, but Hannah felt as if time wasn’t of any essence. This rod that once divided the Red Sea beckoned her to lift it. She felt relaxed as she tightened her grip and wasn’t surprised in the least as it slid out of the rock without any resistance at all. The Staff of Moses balanced comfortably—delicately—in her right hand. In a sort of dazed wonder, she walked with it to the church exit, and right as she stepped out from the church, her father glanced back to look for her. Hannah Carpenter possessed the Staff of Moses.

King Adnan saw Hannah exit the church with the staff and gave a quick order. “Take it! Take it now!” Within seconds, doors flew open and Royal Special Forces, amidst a torrential rainstorm, aimed their weapons at Hannah.

Lauren caught a glimpse of the girl from her news-van window at precisely the time she exited the church. She quickly took out her cell phone and began recording the scene as the Jordanian military police surrounded Hannah and the Carpenter family. Lauren could see the fear in the girl’s eyes despite the driving rain as guns pointed menacingly at her.

Out of the pouring rain, a bright-blue motorcycle appeared, its muscular driver in a blue, sleeveless shirt and dark, blue jeans materializing from thin air. The machine landed on the stony, muddy ground with a sideways skid and slid to a momentary stop right before the girl. Hannah’s attention diverted from the gunmen to the stunning, dark-haired rider. With no hesitation, Cole Flint, the time traveler, stood quickly, lifted her, set her facing him on the seat, and accelerated in an incredible burst of speed toward the stone church. From the viewpoint of the Carpenter family, the government entourage, and Lauren Molina, it appeared that he drove right through the stone wall. The girl, the staff, and the mysterious rider had simply vanished.