I have 5 winners to announce for Robin Wells' STILL THE ONE !
I just wanted to thank everyone for entering and visiting Book Junkie!
Congrats to ...................
- Sabrina (about happy books)
- Christine H
- grandmalarkin
- Lyoness2009
- Sandee61
Thank you everyone for entering to win THE HOST by Stephanie Meyer, I have 4 winners to announce!!!
BookMarc Blogpants
Amy J - Book Addict
Little Tesoro
buddyt (INTERNATIONAL WINNER)
Winner of Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran is ...........................
Rica Eat World
*email sent, please respond by 06/04
My Friend Anna over at Chronic Bookaholic-Strictly Happy Endings! is having her first ever contest! YAY congrats ANNA! So what are you waiting for ????? Head on over and enter to win some great prizes!!!!!
Prize Pack #1
*Unbroken by Maya Banks
*Rescue Me by Cherry Adair, Lora Leigh, Cindy Gerard
*Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro
*some swag (books marks, pens, magnets etc.)
Prize Pack #2
*Hired : Sassy Assistant by Nina Harrington
*50 Harbor Street by Debbie Macomber
*some swag (booksmarks, pens, magnets etc.)
Prize Pack #3
*Daisy's Back in Town by Rachel Gibson
*Baby, I'm Yours by Susan Andersen
*some swag (booksmarks, pens, magnets etc.)
Contest is open to US and Canadian residents. The contest will run till May 30
Today I welcome to Book Junkie author Ashlyn Chase. Ashlyn is celebrating her latest release, the first book in the Strange Neighbors series, Strange Neighbors from Sourcebooks on June 1st! You can read my review HERE!
If someone were writing a story about Ashlyn Chase, what would your blurb say?
Like the big Lotus blossom tattooed into her cleavage, Ashlyn Chase’s story began in the muck, stubbornly grew toward light, and eventually burst through the surface to bloom in the sunshine. Now, with the freedom of adulthood, strength of character and knowledge that nothing and no one can get in her way (for long,) look out world—here she comes!
What do you do to combat writers block?
I refuse to believe in writer’s block. If I hit a wall in a particular work, I simply switch to writing something else, but I never stop writing. Sometimes I’ll write two or three novellas or short stories all while working on a longer novel. Eventually whatever answer or direction I need will present itself, and I’ll pick up where I left off with new energy.
Are any of your personality and life experiences in your writing?
Yes. Thomas Wolfe said, “Every novel is an autobiography.” I hadn’t realized it until recently, but three of my heroines have been nurses. Surprise! I was a nurse for twenty years.
All any of us have to use is the sum of our own experience and research. If you’re working on a collaboration, that opens up your work to others’ experiences. But unless you share the billing, the final say is yours.
How do you come up with your ideas for writing your story, Strange Neighbors?
I was discussing this kernel of an idea with Janet, my friend and neighbor. I envisioned my old Boston neighborhood with a paranormal cast. It wasn’t really taking the shape I wanted, but she wouldn’t let me give up. Every few weeks she’s say, “Hey, how’s that book you were telling me about? You know…the one about the strange neighbors?” Thanks to my wonderful neighbor, I brainstormed the idea with another friend or two and it grew from there.
What's your favorite scene to write in Strange Neighbors?
I love writing anything from the ghost’s point of view. Chad was a black reporter in the sixties and has a quick sarcastic wit. He says what he thinks and lays it all out there, almost daring anyone to stop him—because they can’t. We understand his need to get in a few digs though since the subplot involves solving his murder.
When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning?
Oh, frequently! I have all kinds of fun with names. The paparazzi reporter who’s causing problems for the hero and heroine I named Lila Crum. Jason Falco, our hero, is a shapeshifting falcon. My husband came up with his name. (Thanks, honey!) Dottie Falco is our hero’s aunt and the building busybody. Our sarcastic ghost calls her dotty as an adjective, not just a proper noun. But if you’re talking about the meanings of names in a baby name book or surname list? I occasionally consult those when I’m stuck for ideas, and sometimes I’ll find something ironic or fitting in another way.
Have you ever encountered someone who said, "You write what!!!"?
Not really. I live in the Northeast where most people are fairly liberal and understand what “Live and let live” means. There may have been reactions behind my back that I’m not aware of, but mostly, people smile and say, “Really?” I realize that’s noncommittal, but if anyone took issue with it, I’d probably walk away. Life’s too short to quibble.
Describe your perfect hero.
He’s seductive, subtle. Never an Alpha-a**hole, never a wimp. He’s like a real man you could fall in love with. He’s intelligent, charming, loyal, strong, has personal integrity despite his flaws. He protects his lover, but respects her right to grow and allows her to surprise him. He’s patient and often uses a sense of humor to deal with obstacles or just to have fun with those around him.
You're invited to the White House for dinner, and you can only bring one of the following men with you as a date - David Hasselhoff or Mel Gibson (and the drinks are free and flowing LOL).
Hmmm…it would have been Mel before he became so religiously zealous. But I don’t know much about David other than he’s popular in Germany, and I loved Germany when I was there for a short visit. Maybe he could tell me more about it…and later give me a tour!
What are you currently working on?
Book three in the Strange Neighbor series. After that, I have a kernel of an idea for a novel set in India. I was there for two weeks this February and loved it. In my mind’s eye, I “saw” a temple in the jungle guarded by shapeshifting tigers. Did I happen to see any tigers while I was there? Yup. I was in a bus with bars on the windows, driving through a huge national park, but they had lions and tigers and sloth bears…oh my! The sloth bears were the ugliest bears I’ve ever seen, but the tigers were magnificent. So sleek and colorful. We even spotted a couple of white tigers—they’re almost extinct. What a shame. If ever there was a “magical” looking animal…
What is the worst pick-up line a man ever used on you, and did it work?
I don’t think anyone really tried those with me. But then, I wasn’t the shy type and I’d go right up to a guy I liked and ask him to dance if I wanted to. Certainly the most creative “meeting” I ever had with someone I dated was at a very crowded club where a cute guy literally fell into my lap! He happened to be walking by my seat when someone elbowed him and he lost his balance. I still don’t know if he arranged that bump or not.
If you could ask the readers one thing, what would it be?
What makes a book memorable to you? What will have you thinking about it long after you lay it down? Is it the characters? The settings? The angst? The humor? What can I do to make you tell the world about my story? Bribes are perfectly okay.”
............................................Thank you and Happy Reading
***GIVEAWAY***
1 lucky commenter will win a signed ARC of Strange Neighbors with many thanks to Ashlyn Chase!
Winner Chosen 06/02
To enter you must answer Ashlyn's question AND leave your e-mail!!!!
The spark for my novel The Killing of Mindi Quintana was the true-life story of convicted murderer Jack Henry Abbott. Abbott became a cultural icon and literary shooting star when his book of prison letters, In the Belly of the Beast, was published in 1981.
One irony of the Abbott case is that this evil man’s letters, irrationally justifying his lifetime of violent crime, resulted in public sympathy, literary acclaim, and even his parole. Another irony, tragic, is that within six weeks of his release Abbott killed again, the night before a laudatory review of his book in the New York Times. A final irony—the one that got me started writing—is that Richard Adan, the 22 year-old waiter Abbott stabbed in the heart for refusing him use of an employees-only restroom, was pursuing his dream of becoming a writer himself.
The Killing of Mindi Quintana deals with the injustice of fame and acclaim through murder. It takes issue with our attribution to our violent criminals of special talents, bravery, charisma and charm; our remaking of them as folk heroes and sympathetic anti-heroes. In The Killing of Mindi Quintana a frustrated department store clerk kills, and his little life turns big. The object now of fascination, he pens the book about his victim everybody wants, and drags her through the mud. A new celebrity murderer takes the stage. A comeuppance is in order.
For more information or to contact Jeffrey A. Cohen, author of The Killing of Mindi Quintana (published April 25, 2010)
Website: http://www.jeffreyacohenbooks.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JeffreyACohen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeffacohen
Linked-In: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyacohen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jeffrey Cohen is a writer, trial attorney and technology entrepreneur residing in Philadelphia. He has written on legal issues, including short stories and articles such as “The Black-White Disconnect: A Conversation with Author David Bradley,” on the O.J. Simpson trial, and “Eight Days a Week,” on legal ethics.
Until April 2008, he served as CEO of Teleperformance Interactive, the automated technologies company he sold to Teleperformance in 2004. Teleperformance is the world’s leading customer relations management company with more than 80,000 employees.
A 1988 graduate of the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cohen specialized in appellate, class action and mass tort litigation before entering the business world. He has sold four of his companies to publicly traded entities since 1996 and now writes full time. He is currently at work on his second novel, A Plea for Leniency.
***GIVEAWAY***
I have one copy of The Killing of Mindi Quintana for one lucky commenter.
Winner Chosen 06/08
Open to ALL!
Thank you all for coming out and entering to win Enemy Lover by Karin Harlow, but I can only choose 1 winner.
Per Random.org that winner is ..................
MsM (Elizabeth Jules Mason)
A Huge Thanks to everyone who came out and entered to win Montana Destiny by R.C. Ryan. 5 Winners were chosen and they are.......
- Cecile
- runner10
- Anna ♥
- Mitzi H.
- SiNn
Thank you all for coming out and entering to win Ravished by a Highlander by Paula Quinn. But I can only pick 5 names. Per Random.org those 5 winners are .......
- Lover of Romance
- CrystalGB
- Lizzielvr
- throuthehaze
- jeff72768
*emails were sent out, please respond by 05/31
Today I am thrilled to announce that I have Jodi Thomas as my guest author here on Book Junkie. Jodi has a fabulous new book coming out called Welcome to Harmony, set to release June 1st from Berkley Publishing. This is actually book one in her Contemporary Romance series that will warm your heart and make you laugh. So sit back and enjoy Jodi’s quest post today. Please don’t forget to leave a comment to Jodi and enter to win 1 or 2 copies I have up for grabs. You can also check out my review of Welcome to Harmony HERE.
In one week WELCOME TO HARMONY will be out and I’m so excited I can’t sit still. Once in a while a book comes from the heart. After 30 books I have to say that I wrote this one with what I’d love to read in mind.
I began the book at a Bed and Breakfast built in 1851 near Tyler, Texas. I was the only guest at the huge old plantation house and thought as soon as the housekeeping staff left I would wander around, but as soon as the door was closed and I realized I was alone, I ran to my room and locked the door. That night, with ghosts (I was sure) just outside my door I began the story of a small town called Harmony.
I open my story with Reagan, a runaway, being dropped off after dark on the Main Street. Before the night is over, she’s stepped into a world she’s never known. A world where she can belong.
As I wrote it seemed like my characters came to me one at a time, sat down, and began to tell me their story. As the book moves through the weeks, you’ll meet a funeral director who cares about everyone he meets, a volunteer fire chief who loves what he does, a sheriff who fights every day to live up to her family, and a child who sees people for who they really are.
This story will touch your heart and make you laugh. By the time you finish, you’ll feel like Harmony is a real place.
I’ll be writing three books set in Harmony and hope you’ll come along with me on the journey. I promise I’ll take you on an adventure.
Wishing you love and laughter,
Jodi Thomas
About Jodi
Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today best-selling author of 30 novels and 8 short story collections. As of July 2006, she was the 11th woman to be inducted in to RWA Hall of Fame. She is also currently serving as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.
Starred review from Publishers Weekly
Thomas ... sets her latest trilogy in a town founded by three families who are also bitter rivals: McAllen, Matheson, and Truman. Nothing much happens in Harmony, Tex., except on Saturday nights, when the town sheriff is brawling at the local bar. Unhappy teen Reagan worked in a nursing home and loved listening to old Beverly Truman’s stories about Harmony. After Beverly’s death, Reagan steals her last name and runs away to Beverly’s hometown. Jeremiah Truman, Beverly’s brother, quickly figures out that Reagan isn’t actually a long-lost relative but lets her stay with him anyway. Meanwhile, sheriff Alexandra McAllen tangles with fire chief Hank Matheson, who keeps rescuing her from her Saturday night sprees. The characters are delightful, and a subplot about mysterious fires balances the sweet stories about being and becoming family.
http://www.jodithomas.com/
TwoLips Reviews
Being shuffled from foster home to foster home, Reagan has always wanted to belong. Befriending old Miss Beverly at the Shady Rest Home, Reagan decides after she talks so fondly of Harmony, Texas, she wants to be part of that heritage. When Miss Beverly dies, Reagan slips away, entering the tiny town pretending to be her granddaughter. Will the town accept her ruse, embracing her within its arms?
Be just as pleasantly surprised as Reagan when you enter Jodi Thomas’s Harmony, Texas in Welcome to Harmony. Who hasn’t felt like Reagan once or twice in their life, wishing with all your heart and soul to truly matter to some-one? Knowing she can bluff everyone in Harmony excerpt for Jeremiah, Reagan is determined to prove her worth to the blustery man she wants to call her uncle. Proving nothing worth having is easy, it takes a long time with hard labor in his orchard to worm her way into his affections.
Although Jeremiah knows Harmony isn’t his kin, he can’t help but admire her plunk. Not wanting her to slave her life away working on the farm, he demands she attend high school to keep up with her learning. While there, Reagan catches the eye of Noah McAllen a cocky bull-rider. Noah finds Reagan’s aloofness refreshing and befriends the young girl to her utter dismay. I loved their interaction together since both represent one third of the original families which comprise Harmony. Somehow these two manage to not let old tensions get in the way, finding a way to form a great bond.
Lest you think Jodi Thomas’ Welcome to Harmony is just Reagan and Noah’s story, think again. I’m so glad this is only the first book in Ms. Thomas’ Harmony series because I desperately want to know more about the town sheriff, Alexandra McAllen who perpetually flagellates herself over her older brother’s death. Clinging to her shame, thinking she was directly responsible, she drinks herself into oblivion every Saturday night, making Hank Matheson rescue her. Hank is another intriguing character because he’s the only male in his clan, bound by a sense of duty not only to Alex but his unconventional family. Tyler Wright is the last of his family’s line and owns the only funeral home in the area. He is an unassuming man by day until he interacts with a mystery woman via email at night. All these characters make me long for Jodi Thomas’ second book because I’m afraid I’m just like Reagan, never wanting to leave Harmony, Texas, and its colorful characters.
***GIVEAWAY***
I have 2 copies up for grabs.
Open to all
MUST leave e-mail, Must be a follower
Leave a comment for Jodi to enter!!!
Winner chosen 06/04
Now today in modern times Reagan is a teenage girl without a family and a real home. Her days are spent listening to Beverly Truman's stories of Harmony and Reagan day dreams of how her life could be in Harmony for her a girl who has skipped around from foster care to foster care yet still without a real home.
But Beverly Truman passes on and Reagan sees an opportunity that she can't pass up. She heads to Harmony for a new chapter in her life. Reagan has now become Reagan Truman, Beverly Truman's granddaughter. Thing is though that sweet little Reagan hasn't convinced Beverly's brother Jeremiah. Jeremiah has a little of a hardened heart, a crotchety old man, but he senses that poor Reagan needs a family more than anything. So being a little less crotchety he let's her believe she has pulled one over on him. Reagan's new life takes bloom when she meets rugged, charming and handsome bull rider Noah McAllen. A new sweet love blossems as welll a Reagan finally finding a home in Harmony that will make your heart swell with happiness for her.
There are other lives in Harmony that are tormented souls, and one of those is Alexandra McAllen, she is the town's sheriff who is all but completely falling apart inside. She blames herself for her brother's death, unwilling and unable to cope with her reality she brinks herself into a binder every Saturday night. Only to be saved by fire chief Hank Matheson. Hank has his own family secrets that weigh heavily on him eating away at his insides daily.
Putting old family battles and hostilities aside is what the town of Harmony will have to do, there is a great tragedy that is heady towards the town that they all love and unless they learn to put their stubborn prejudices aside that they have for each other then their beloved Harmony could turn to ash.
A sweet and faced paced story, I have been a fan of Jodi Thomas' for some time now and she once again charms her readers with Welcome to Harmony. For all the bitterness and heartache that one town can take there is so much love and promise that there cane only be hope for the future and you find yourself so involved in the lives of all the characters that I too wish I was in Harmony, Texas.
June 01, 2010
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
ISBN-13: 9780425235102
ISBN: 0425235106
Are you ready for a laugh, a few hot love scenes that will steam your windows? Well turn your AC up and get ready! Throw in a shape shifter or two, a couple of witches who make their living running a phone sex business, a vampire living in the basement, a werewolf, an eccentric and paranoid aunt and a sweet and lovable human girl; what have you got? Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase.
Merry Mackenzie has just moved into apartment building in historical downtown Boston, one that just so happens to be owned by a shape shifting famous baseball player. On just the day that Merry is moving in Jason Falco offers her help and dinner. But with Merry working the night shift at a local hospital she has to turn him down. Not that she wanted to but her nights are booked working and she doesn’t really have any down time. Sexy Jason gets her blood boiling though and the two find a way to connect. And connect they do, instantly you can feel the attraction between Merry and Jason jump off the pages.
He is losing control of his shifts and Merry seems to be the only calm thing in his life. The apartment building is full of the most interesting cast of characters. The two witches and his aunt are convinced that one of the apartments is haunted by a ghost. Through a psychic and séances they are able to conjure up Chad. A reporter who’s trying to find out who killed his mother. Chad is haunting the building, but Jason also has a werewolf and vampire on board too. All of which add serious comic relief that will keep you laughing out loud at the witty banter between everyone.
Jason, despite the fame is a good guy; it hasn’t gone to his head. He is a perfect match for Merry who is really trying to branch out on her own and under her father’s protective realm. Their romance kicks off and doesn’t stop, hot and heavy and oh so sexy they become close fast. But with all that is going on in the apartment and all the distractions of their own lives will the two every make it through all the craziness?
A laugh out loud tale of love, acceptance and just plain wacky characters that I couldn’t put it down. Ashlyn Chase created such characters that spring up from the pages and come to life right in front of you. Making you wish you too lived in that haunted apartment building just to see what the heck is really going on. Jason and Merry were lovable and addictive, the reader won’t be able to help themselves as the cheer them on to eventually finding their own path to happiness. If only they can convince their families along the way!
When nurse Merry MacKenzie rents an apartment in a historic Boston home, she's taken with her new landlord, sexy baseball pitcher Jason Falco, and intrigued by the possibility of a ghost on the premises. It doesn't take long to figure out that her neighbors are an odd bunch: a couple of witches who run a phone sex business, several shape-shifters, a werewolf, and a vampire in (of course) the basement. The scariest entity by far is determined reporter Lila Crum, whose pursuit of Jason knows no boundaries. Add in Jason's snoopy and decidedly nonsupernatural aunt and the good-natured fun never stops. Chase (Vampire Vintage) brings on plenty of laughs along with steamy sex scenes as Merry and Jason bewitch each other amid the supernatural mayhem
The secret world of the Lords of the Satyrs comes alive again Elizabeth Amber's 5th instalment in the series, DANE, THE LORDS OF SATYR released TODAY, May 25th from Kensington Aphrodisia.
Dane is the one of the son of Nicholas (Book 1), but not his only son. A childhood trama as scared Dane. A torment that has haunted Dane all these years, one that is eating him alive inside. His only salvation, he has created a different personality to help him cope with the anguish and the pain that Dane himself can not face. And Dante is born. Dante is stronger than Dane who can not face the sexual pull of the moon. For Satyr’s the moon puts them into a kind of sexual overdrive, their sexual needs and desires are overwhelming and they must satisfy them. I must admit I don't know who I liked more Dante or Dane, both were technically Dane, but Dante was daring and strong where Dane was sensual and emotionally fragile.
In comes Eva, as Dante is wondering through his family’s olive groves he happens upon a woman who seems to be lost. Eva is anything but lost; she is searching for olives that she can only find on Satyr land. These olives help produce a disguise of sorts of her scent and her Satyr desires that are beyond her control. No other olives will do.
Dante recognizes something in Eva and knows that she is from the Elseworld …….. she is Satyr! He must have her and his lust is overwhelming as the moon pulls him towards his desires with an immovable force. What happens next not only shocks Dante but Dane as well, Dane comes out and suppressed Dante for the first time ever. Dane must have her and have her he will. No longer repulsed by his sexual desires the attraction between the two in undeniable. But Eva fights him off; as much as she was swept away with wanting Dane as much as he wants her, her life depends on keeping her secret and staying alive.
But Eva has a terrible secret that she must not let get out; a female Satyr is rare and unheard of. If anyone discovers who and what she really is, it could have devastating consequences.
Dane little by little becomes more of himself with Eva, their encounters are so incredibly erotically delicious and the intensity of every encounter the reader is swept deeper and deeper into their world. With two sexually charged Satyrs the dynamics between the two are exciting and intense. Eva and Dane’s emotions and hidden attractions will find their way out into the open.
Elizabeth Amber pens another great tale of the Lords of the Satyrs, with drama and passion the story explodes onto the pages and ensnares the reader into their world. Amber has such a unique way of creating characters with such depth and feverish excitement that the riveting emotional journey in which Eva and Dane made just makes the characters come alive.
The dark sensuality of the Lords of Satyr returns to 1880s Italy, where these powerful men indulge their lust without inhibition…
An Appetite For Pleasure
When Dane Satyr approaches Eva for her services as a matchmaker, she offers him more than just introductions. Dane has discovered that Eva is a Satyr like himself, full of insatiable passion and dark desires. Their attraction combusts instantaneously, unlocking pleasures that neither can resist repeating…even as Eva seeks out a mortal bride for Dane…
A Demand That Can’t Be Denied
Dane knows that the anonymous enemies of his past are now smiling in his face, but unmasking them is no easy task. A ring of sex slavers is at work amidst the high society he courts, and revealing his sensual powers could expose his greatest vulnerability. But having sampled the delights of a satyr mistress, Dane finds his own desires rising against him as well…
Publisher: Kensington Aphrodisia
978-0-7582-4128-3
Pub Date: May 25, 2010
Nancy couldn't tell you what perfect. She has the perfect husband, the perfect marriage, the perfect life, and she is the perfect package. But what we see on the outside is an illusion. Nancy is terribly unhappy in her life and her marriage, so what is a girl to do? She decides to take a break from her husband for a while and start her own business. Something she has always wanted to do, start up an Event Planning Business. So off she goes to start up a new life, but there is a lot going against her. First of all she is as anyone would assume by looking at her a spoiled socialite who just needs a project to keep her busy. Not even her friends or family believe that she can be a success and look at this as a total joke.
With her new assistant Derek, who I couldn't help but adore from the first moment he was introduced, is her lifeline. He is openly gay and British, that sexy accent working it's way into Nancy's hormones, because the girls got a crush. Too bad he likes men!
Her massive project, the sink of swim project is to reinvent and revitalize the Barbary coast Historical Museum Fundraiser into something spectacular. The social even of the season. If she fails, she will not only be a laughing stock but her business with be bust!
But Nancy is tough, she surprised me in many ways and proved without a shadow of a doubt that she is no ditsy socialite. There was depth to Nancy that became abundantly clear through every page as she tackled road block after road block. Some not quite as elegantly as others, but with her wit and charm I couldn't refuse her. Derek also was a dynamic supporting character in my book, without him I fear Nancy, although with the best of intentions and hope, would have quite possible failed.
To add a little fuel to the fire Nancy's cousin drops off her four year old little girl on her doorstep! Sidelined by all the drama going on in her life, Nancy struggles to overcome her confusion over what she wants in her life. What is important and what makes HER happy!
Such a fabulous read, a hilarious and heartfelt debut by Coopersmith, and a stunning example of exceptional writing. A must read for the summer as far as I am concerned as I will be looking for more to come by Grace Coopersmith!
Lively, pretty young socialite Nancy Carrington-Chambers has always believed that an excellent sense of style and strict attention to detail are what it takes to achieve a perfectly chic life. Now, however, her own haute couture marriage is starting to resemble a clearance rack, as husband Todd manifests more and more symptoms of a dread disease—incurable tackiness. Seriously concerned, Nancy flees their vulgar McMansion for an apartment in San Francisco’s posh Pacific Heights. She’s determined to make her event planning company, Froth, a real winner, but her new prize assignment—reinventing the turgid Barbary Coast Historical Museum fundraiser—must be spectacular in every way. Luckily, Nancy now has the perfect assistant. Derek Cathcart is British, impeccably dressed, gorgeous, and clearly gay—so why does Nancy find him so attractive?
Before Nancy can unravel her feelings for Derek, her irresponsible cousin Birdie abandons her four-year-old daughter at Nancy’s and takes off to parts unknown. Nancy, Derek, and little Eugenia make an unlikely “family,” but strangely it all seems incredibly right. Nancy’s parents are pressuring her to return to Todd, however, and she still has to pull off the party of the year. For someone who has always prided herself on knowing exactly where she is going, Nancy is sailing into dangerously uncharted waters.
What is so wrong with our society that we sensationalize murderers into celebrities. The media wouldn't feed off it if the stories didn't sell. This is the case in Jeffrey A. Cohen debut novel, The Killing of Mindi Quintana, the story of the fame seeking killer and his victim.
The victim is the charming Mindi who happens to work for a small literary magazine in Philly and has the unfortunate luck of knowing her killer. The wanna be writer Frederick Builder, Freddy is the manager of Chanet in a Department store in Philly as well, and as old friends he gives her a discount on a purchase for her parents, an item she would not have been able to afford without it. In return Freddy gives Mindi copies of a few stories he has written. Delusions of grandeur set in and Freddy begins to fantasize about not only his career as a writer but also romantically with Mindi.
Mindi wants none of it, not only does she reject him, but she critiques his stories which only in turn piss him off. Enough that his angry, humiliation and rage take over. Freddy kills Mindi. Brutally and violently. What happens next is the media obsessive culture that is so true to modern times, Freddy is transformed into a celebrity of sorts, all to gain fame in a sick and twisted desire to gain more money and celebrity all with blood on his hands. It is startling to see into the mind of a murderer has he is consumed with this new passion of fame and all that it can offer him. No longer just that simple man working in the department store with a crush and a fantasy about Mindi, Freddy is a cold blooded killer. Jeffrey Cohen
has written a stunningly visual account of a sick man who commits a violent and deadly crime only to be
sensationalized for shock value making Freddy famous in the end. What about the victim? Where is the truth in the details? This story is so true to life that you could find it on the five O'clock news tonight and you wouldn't be surprised.
This book is a faced paced thrill ride, so hold onto your hats and enjoy the roller coaster, including a surprise twist at the end that will make you feel like you have come full circle as justice is finally served.
A killer with a book... A lawyer pushed too far... Freddy Builder kills Mindi Quintana and is writing the book about their relationship everybody wants—it's a lying rewrite of her life and of their miserably thin involvement. Excerpts appearing to acclaim, a televised trial is in the offing, and a new celebrity killer takes the stage—the iconic poet-murderer, a jailhouse literary sensation. Freddy's straight arrow lawyer plays his sworn role as advocate; but as Freddy builds his fame with the bones of his victim, he finds himself dreaming of justice. And of comeuppance. For a killer with a book. For fame through the backdoor of murder.
You can find information about Jeffrey Cohen and links to the other stops on this tour at TLC Book Tours.
THE KILLING OF MINDI QUINTANA is available now: ISBN: 978-1566499583.
Publication Date: April 25, 2010
Publication Date: April 25, 2010
A big Thank You to everyone who entered to win a copy of The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry. I have 5 winners below. CONGRATS to..........
- Indigo
- Deedles
- Kelsey
- Darcie K
- Fleur
*e-mail sent, please respond by 05/28, thank you
Tie me down, lock me up, take away my credit card. Why??? Because I just fell in love with a new author who blew me away! And Why am I so excited? Let me tell you, Enemy Lover by Karin Harlow, that's way. Karin has written a story that will make you too a follower. And the best thing is that Enemy Lover is only book 1 in the L.O.S.T series!Here we have the story of Angela Giacomelli, or the woman who used to be Angela Giacomelli, Baltimore PD. One tough, bad ass cop kicking butt all over the city. That is until the night she was abandoned by her squad, practically left for dead. A ruthless pimp raped, beat and mutilate Angela almost to death while her fellow officers could have cared less standing by doing NOTHING!
But revenge was Angela's and she got it, but at the price .... of her life. She is on her way to prison, an ex-cop in prison. We all know that is bad news and so does Angela, her anger and hurt can only shield her for so long before she falls. And fall hard she will.
She knows she won't last long, scared, angry bitter and lost. So when a bomb goes off on the prison bus and she is kidnapped she knows this event isn't some random accident. That is when Angela Giacomelli died and Jax Cassidy is born. The the help of her new team, L.O.S.T (Last Option Special Team ), and Godfather, not to mention 6mo. to intense therapy she has become a killing machine. But to prove herself to Godfather and the team she is given the mission to take down Marcus Cross. He just happens to be the right hand man to one Colonel Joseph Lazarus, leader of The Solution. Little do Godfather or anyone else on the team know that Lazarus is a vampire and Marcus is his sire. A perfect killing machine, hit man of sorts with his background as a Special Ops sniper in Afghanistan, where he was left for dead. Until Lazarus gave Marcus a second change at life, but at what price. He is now a vampire.
She knows she won't last long, scared, angry bitter and lost. So when a bomb goes off on the prison bus and she is kidnapped she knows this event isn't some random accident. That is when Angela Giacomelli died and Jax Cassidy is born. The the help of her new team, L.O.S.T (Last Option Special Team ), and Godfather, not to mention 6mo. to intense therapy she has become a killing machine. But to prove herself to Godfather and the team she is given the mission to take down Marcus Cross. He just happens to be the right hand man to one Colonel Joseph Lazarus, leader of The Solution. Little do Godfather or anyone else on the team know that Lazarus is a vampire and Marcus is his sire. A perfect killing machine, hit man of sorts with his background as a Special Ops sniper in Afghanistan, where he was left for dead. Until Lazarus gave Marcus a second change at life, but at what price. He is now a vampire.
Marcus is soon to find out the price as he learns that Jax is now after him, problem being, an intense attraction that all but paralyzes both of them. Their games of cat and mouse leave both stunned at the attraction and eager for more.
What Marcus realizes thought when he gets a hold of Jax is that he can't let her go. Ever.
This is when Marcus starts to question Lazarus his sire and his boss, he has done his bidding without question, without a second thought. But now that Jax is in his life it starts to become clear to him that the work that Lazarus is doing, especially threatening children of his enemies is wrong.
Marcus must make a decision, go against Lazarus the same man who gave him a second chance at life, albeit a vampire but still a second chance. Jax is now his heart, their love and their bond grows more powerful by the day. Choosing the to work with Jax and the L.O.S.T time could be the downfall of them all when Lazarus takes his revenge on the team and Marcus himself.
My favorite quote when Marcus tells her ".....You are an angel of mercy send to save my soulless self."
This story will break your heart, leave you hanging on the edge of your seat and make you cry all at the same time!
Karin Harlow has created such fantastical elements that are woven seamlessly into the lives of these characters, making the reader feel a part of the action, leaving them breathless and longing for more! Jax and Marcus are such in-depth characters and Harlow perfectly illustrates who they are and how they feel at every suspenseful turn. Delicious and explosive all at the same time. I simply loved every word!
Karin Harlow has created such fantastical elements that are woven seamlessly into the lives of these characters, making the reader feel a part of the action, leaving them breathless and longing for more! Jax and Marcus are such in-depth characters and Harlow perfectly illustrates who they are and how they feel at every suspenseful turn. Delicious and explosive all at the same time. I simply loved every word!
It’s Jax Cassidy’s first mission for L.O.S.T.—one that will give the former cop who went rogue a chance to prove herself. Her assignment: gain the trust of assassin Marcus Cross . . . eliminate him . . . then take down Marcus’s mentor, Joseph Lazarus, a man with a bold eye on the White House. But the woman who’s known by her team for being a femme fatale succumbs to passion, only to discover Cross’s deadly secret. He’s a vampire, and Joseph Lazarus is his creator.
Left for dead by his platoon in the violent hills of Afghanistan, special ops sniper Marcus Cross was given a second chance at life. His newly heightened skills make him the perfect killing machine, and as Lazarus's right hand man, he’s quickly rising to the top of his dark empire, purging enemies with speed and precision. Only when dangerous beauty Jax Cassidy is sent to bring him in does he begin to question Lazarus’s motives and his own actions. But when Jax’s life is threatened by the one thing that can destroy them both, Marcus must make a bitter choice—her death or his.
ISBN: 978-1-4391-0982-3
RELEASE DATE: May 25th
***GIVEAWAY***
I have an extra copy to give away to one reader. Open to all!
Leave a comment with your e-mail. MUST be a follower!
Winner chosen May 25th!
Second in the series is the story of the youngest of the Westfield brothers Benjamin. He too is a werewolf, but poor Ben has lost his mojo of sorts. The past month he was unable to shift at the full moon. Alarmed and a bit embarrassed he seeks the advice of his uncle and heads to Scotland in search of a witch, a healer who she and she alone will be able to help him with his affliction.
Handsome and stubborn Ben is blindsided when he meets the beautiful and feisty Elspeth. Little at the time does Ben know that it is Elspeth who is the healer who must help him. The only healer who can help him.
Startled that her coven of witches believes that she will be taken by the beast, she has no idea why her dearest friends are so protective of her when it comes to Ben. But soon he proves to Elspeth that he is an upstanding and considerate gentleman when her grandfather passes away the night they meet. Not only that but to learn that he is actually in search of a healer. But the healer he desires is her mother, unbeknownst to him she is long dead. That leaves him the beauty of his desire, Elspeth.
Quite comical at the confusion at first between Elspeth and Ben when he is trying to tell her in very very vague terms that he has a problem, she believes him to be impotent and his problems of a sexual nature.
There banter and chemistry is palpable, clever and charming forcing the reader to turn each and every page just to get a glimpse of each one of their encounters. There is a bond that is formed from the very beginning and carries throughout the entire story where you can’t help but cheer them on as they discover their love for each other.
Ben fears that when Elspeth discovers who he is she will not want him, but what Elspeth hides is that her father was considered “a beast” as well and she too carries the mark. I couldn’t help but adore Elspeth as she firmly stood up to her coven and fought to be with Ben.
A truly captivating story that alone is a enticing and addictive read, only adding to the richness of the story of the Westfield brothers and the women the love.
In Lydia Dare’s debut trilogy, Regency England has gone to the wolves!
He’s lost the most important part of himself…
Lord Benjamin Westfield is a powerful werewolf—until one full moon when he doesn’t change. His life now shattered, he rushes off to Scotland in search of the healer who can restore his inner beast, only to find she’s not at all what he expected…
She would make him whole, if she could…
Young, beautiful witch Elspeth Campbell will do anything to help anyone who calls upon her healing arts. Then Lord Benjamin shows up, and she suddenly discovers she may need him even more than he needs her…
ISBN: 9781402236952
Use code 35MAY10 for 35% off! @ Source Books
Today I would like to give a warm welcome to my guest author Jean Hart Stewart. She is here to talk a little about her first book in her new historical romance series, which was released April 29 from Red Rose Publishing, The Thrid Rose.
Five things I wished I’d known before I started writing.
What a challenge to limit it to five! Looking back I had no idea what was entailed in being a published author. I just had all these stories in my head that were clamoring to get out. So I started writing, something I’d always done sporadically, even on my jobs. When the kids were educated I gave in to my overwhelming urge to get all those whirling ideas down. Not on paper, and thank god for computers. Even I have trouble with my handwriting.
So I wrote several books and started sending them off. And learned RULE No 1. Learn about your craft before you start to submit. After I’d gotten rejections I started to take the comments, if I was lucky enough to get them, quite seriously. So we come to RULE No. 2. Expect rejection at first, don’t’ be overcome by them. And then start to learn all you can. There are loads of books out there to help. I personally think Debra Dixon book on motivation and conflict is a must. Ask your writer friends which ones they’d recommend.
Go to lectures, go to classes on or off the web. Even if you only get one revelation per lecture it’s worth all you time and effort. So here’s Rule No. 3, which is something like No.1. Keep learning even after you think you’re pretty good. For instance, I’d never heard of POV (point of view) before I started getting critisms I was jumping around from one character’s mind to the other. I still like to do that, and still don’t agree it’s all bad. I think at times it adds spice to the scene, but believe me, the editors don’t like it.
Rule 4. Have your website in place before you’re published. You’re going to need it like crazy, so you might as well enjoy having one. It takes a while to get it the way you want it. I was caught without one and had my first two books accepted a day apart. This seems elementary to me now, but then I didn’t know from nothin’.
Rule 5. Be prepared to re-organize your life on a grand scale. I had no idea that promo-ing is mostly up to any author. I’m still learning how to do it right after seventeen books. Other things in your life simply have to be eliminated or you won’t have time for both promo and writing. I’m not fond of promo, but it’s getting easier for me. Still would rather write than anything, but I’m pretty good about sticking to promo in the morning and writing in the afternoon and evening. Lunches with the girls are no longer in the picture, Gradually my true friends have accepted this, and are proud of me. A few got offended. But there’s not as much playtime as there used to be. Since I’d rather write than eat I’m perfectly happy. But I wasn’t prepared for the chunks of time spent on promo.
Anything a reader wants to ask me I’m happy to answer. Write to me jswriter@earthlink.net. I promise to answer. I have a good spam filter so put something in the subject identifying yourself.
When Sara Coverly hides in Lord Wolverton’s bedroom to avenge him for the rape of her friend, she is determined to shoot him so he can never ruin another female. Instead she finds herself wondering if she’s picked the wrong man! Wolf decides he needs a token fiancée to cover his tracks as he searches for a spy, and soon Sara finds herself helping him. And falling deeply in love.
Wolf’s espionage duties bring danger to them both. When he decodes a message threatening the assassination of Wellington at Waterloo, they both set out for Brussels to catch the villain.
Can their growing love endure through war, a desperate villain who is out to stop them, and Wolf’s determination to save Wellington at any cost?
EXCERPT
At last. The bastard had come home. He must have lit more candles, as the room became brighter. She could see a large man, elegantly dressed, stride across the room. Double drat! He moved out of her vision, and she did not dare part the draperies any further. She waited, breath suspended, as he re-appeared and sat on the bed. He arched one long muscled leg, bending over to tug at his boot. His face was in shadow, but his build was powerful, that of a more than adequate sportsman. His size didn’t worry her. A gun was a great equalizer.
He meant to take his boots off himself? She was surprised he didn’t require his valet to wait up for him. An unusual bit of consideration for a servant, one she’d not expected. She’d thought she’d have to stay hidden until the valet had come and gone. Perhaps this was better, since at least he was decently clothed. Not that she’d let any missish tendencies deter her. Actually seeing a large nude male might be educational.
Now was the time.
She cocked the gun and stepped out in front of him, the barrel pointed directly at him.
“You will please rise, my lord. I do not intend to shoot a seated villain.” She felt pride in the composure of her voice. She’d worried a little about that.
Wolverton did not appear unduly upset, although his eyebrows arched upward. He bent the long leg stretched on the bed and clasped both hands around his knee.
“A woman. How interesting. I admit you make a very fetching young man dressed in those breeches, but your voice is definitely female. Might I inquire why you have your gun pointed at me?”
She had to give him his due. His tone seemed as cool as hers, and she certainly must have been a nasty surprise. Although come to think of it, he probably often found women accosting him in his bedchamber. But surely for more pleasurable purposes, cad that he was.
“Stand up, my lord.”
Neither her voice nor the hand holding the gun on him wavered, as Joshua Sinclair, Earl of Wolverton, slowly placed both his boots on the luxurious Aubusson carpet and rose to his feet.
“Is there anything I can do for you, madam?” he inquired, as politely as if he were asking her if she took milk with her tea.
She shook her head slowly, carefully lowering the gun a trifle. What a shame he was such a handsome devil, but then she should have expected no less from a despoiler of virgins.
She was pleased to see him blanch a little as he realized where she aimed.
***GIVEAWAY***
Jean will be giving away a The Third Rose T-shirt to one randomly drawn commenter from the blog stops listed HERE. So leave a comment here for Jean and be sure to hit all the other stops as well!!!
Ends 05/31
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