Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Spotlight Tour & #Giveaway for The Lady Meets Her Match by Gina Conkle


Welcome to my stop on the Pre-Release Spotlight Tour, presented by Sourcebooks Casablanca, for The Lady Meets Her Match by Gina Conkle.  Please leave a comment or question for Gina to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter the Sourcebooks Tour Wide Giveaway, for one (1) of five (5) copies of Meet the Earl at Midnight, the first book in Gina’s Midnight Meetings series, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  





Today we’re sitting down with historical romance author Gina Conkle! Gina’s latest book, The Lady Meets Her Match, comes out this April. To celebrate we’re participating in the “Ask Gina Spotlight Tour”, take it away Gina!

Question:  When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?


Gina:  My “Now is the time” moment came when my youngest son was two. It was as much a matter of putting my dreams front and center as the cascade of stories in my head.


The Lady Meets Her Match
By:   Gina Conkle
Midnight Meetings, Book 2

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: April 7th, 2015
Genre:  Historical Romance
Length:  384 Pages
ISBN: 9781402294303
ASIN:  B00Q3269JU

Buy Links:  Amazon | Apple | B-A-M | B&N | Indiebound | Kobo 


About the book: 

Finding her is only half the battle

Cyrus Ryland didn’t become England’s wealthiest bachelor by being a pushover, but the mysterious beauty he discovers sneaking around his study during a grand ball enflames his curiosity. They share one dance, but when the clock chimes midnight, she’s nowhere to be found. So Cyrus vows to scour all of London to uncover who she is.

Claire Mayhew is risking it all by forging Ryland’s signature. But the maddening man won’t lease properties to an unmarried woman. He stands in the way of Claire’s dream: running her own business. The midtown property fits her plans perfectly—a place to live as an independent woman of commerce. When she sneaks into his study and forges his signature, she never expects to be attracted to the stodgy bachelor. But if he finds out who she is, all of her dreams could go up in smoke…
  



EXCERPT


Cyrus removed his fine blue coat, the slide of cloth on cloth an inviting sound to her benumbed senses.

“You’re not warming up sufficiently.” He leaned in and wrapped his coat over her shoulders, his deep voice like an intimate connection. “Someone needs to take care of you.”

She shuddered when his breath tickled her ear. His warmth and nearness was just as heavenly as what he draped around her. She could tell he found her refusal more amusing than deterring. Cyrus closed the coat in front of her, his body heat palpable inside. The collar’s woven broadcloth brushed her rain-misted cheeks, his pleasant scent on the cloth. The coat was part of an expensive, well-tailored ditto suit: identical blue fabric with spare gold trim on the coat, waistcoat, and breeches.

“I’ll ruin part of a perfectly good suit.” But she pulled the coat tighter, greedy for the snug feel.

He added more coal to the blaze. The inferno’s orange light danced across white cotton stretched over his shoulders. Muscles moved under the fabric, mesmerizing her while he built a hotter fire. And then there was his offer to waive her rent and give her a loan, an offer apparently free of unique requirements. His act of generosity pinched her conscience.

How dare he be so…nice.

“About the rent, the loan, I cannot accept your kind offer.” She cleared her throat, trying to sound competent. “I’ll find a way.”

Ryland glanced at her but said nothing to counter her refusal. Instead, he dropped to the floor, kneeling before her. Without asking her leave, he removed one shoe and then the other, and set the soaked footwear against the hearth’s ash pan.

“What are you doing?” Her words, like her body, went slack, all of her too worn down.

His head bent close to her knee. One hand, large and warm, curled around her ankle, rubbing life back into her foot. A big, masculine palm moved under the arch, creating delightful friction. She pressed her lips together, holding back a moan of pleasure.

“I would think a land steward’s daughter would know wet clothes are hazardous for one’s health.” He flashed a devilish grin. “You ought to remove your wet clothes, cover yourself with something warm and dry.”


Such as covering myself with you.

About Gina Conkle


Gina Conkle, a history nerd to the core, loves castles and museums. Her motto is “the older and moldier, the better.” When not enjoying relics, she lives in the present, dabbling in organic gardening at her home in San Diego, California. She lives with Brian, her husband and favorite alpha male, and their two boys. Visit her at www.ginaconkle.com.


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Monday, March 30, 2015

Virtual Book Tour & #Giveaway for Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour for Author C.W. Gortner who is touring from March 20-April 8, 2015 with

Mademoiselle Chanel

Mademoiselle Chanel
By C.W. Gortner

Release date: March 17, 2015 
Genre:  Historical Fiction)
Length:  384 pages
ISBN: 978-0062356406

********

About the book:  

For readers of “The Paris Wife” and “Z” comes this vivid novel full of drama, passion, tragedy, and beauty that stunningly imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel—the ambitious, gifted laundrywoman’s daughter who revolutionized fashion, built an international empire, and became one of the most influential and controversial figures of the twentieth century.

Born into rural poverty, Gabrielle Chanel and her siblings are sent to an orphanage after their mother’s death. The sisters nurture Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills, a talent that will propel the willful young woman into a life far removed from the drudgery of her childhood.

Transforming herself into Coco—a seamstress and sometime torch singer—the petite brunette burns with ambition, an incandescence that draws a wealthy gentleman who will become the love of her life. She immerses herself in his world of money and luxury, discovering a freedom that sparks her creativity. But it is only when her lover takes her to Paris that Coco discovers her destiny.

Rejecting the frilly, corseted silhouette of the past, her sleek, minimalist styles reflect the youthful ease and confidence of the 1920s modern woman. As Coco’s reputation spreads, her couturier business explodes, taking her into rarefied society circles and bohemian salons. But her fame and fortune cannot save her from heartbreak as the years pass. And when Paris falls to the Nazis, Coco is forced to make choices that will haunt her.

An enthralling novel of an extraordinary designer who created the life she desired, Mademoiselle Chanel explores the inner world of a woman of staggering ambition whose strength, passion and artistic vision would become her trademark.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CW Gortner

C.W. Gortner is the international bestselling author of six historical novels, translated in over twenty-five languages to date. His new novel, “Mademoiselle Chanel”, traces the tumultuous rise to fame of iconic fashion designer, Coco Chanel.

In 2016, Random House will publish his eighth novel, “Vatican Princess”, about Lucrezia Borgia.

Raised in Spain and a long-time resident of the Bay Area, C.W. is also dedicated to companion animal rescue from overcrowded shelters.

Visit his website.

Follow him on Facebook, Twitter

Subscribe to his newsletter

Buy the book: HarperCollins | IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

*****

You can enter the giveaway here or on the book blogs participating in this tour.

Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook, they are listed in the entry form below.


Entry-Form



Visit each blogger on the tour: tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time! [just follow the directions on the entry-form] 6 winners Open to US only: 5 printed copies + 1 beautiful, handcrafted beaded bracelet inspired by Coco’s black-and-white signature colors and camellia design.

  Mademoiselle Chanel bracelet

CLICK ON THE BANNER TO READ OTHER REVIEWS, EXCERPTS, GUEST-POST AND INTERVIEW


Mademoiselle Chanel banner

 

Cover Reveal & #Giveaway for Between Dreams by Cynthia Austin

Between Dreams CR Banner

Welcome to my stop on the Cover Reveal Tour, presented by Indie Sage Promotions, for Between Dreams by Cynthia Austin.  Please leave a comment or question for Cynthia to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  


Between Dreams 
Publication Date: April 28, 2015 


Between Dreams Cover

About the book: 

Sidney Sinclair was living the dream of any eighteen year-old girl...

A handsome rock star boyfriend, a closet full of designer clothes, a limousine service at her beck and call, and a mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.

Even with all of that glamour and excitement at her fingertips, she still feels as if she's been missing something in her life so she decides to leave.

While trying her best to put her dysfunctional romantic relationship aside and tend to her beloved Granny, Sidney unexpectedly stumbles upon an intriguing emerald pendant boxed away in her grandmother's closet. Soon she learns it once belonged to her long-lost mother who committed suicide when she was just a baby.

Suddenly feeling emotionally connected to the woman who had birthed her, Sidney begins to wear the necklace. 

This sends her on a whirlwind journey that alternates between fantasy and reality...

Almost immediately, she starts having dreams linked to the mysterious pendant. As danger begins to seep into her life, Sidney refuses to remove the necklace and instead documents each dream to help her further understand them.

However, she soon begins to wonder if they are dreams meant to bond her to a mother who she never knew? Or a subconscious warning that threatens her very life?


Add to Goodreads

About Cynthia Austin

Cynthia Austin
Cynthia Austin lives in Northern California with her husband, two boys, and Olde English Bulldogge named Count Dogula. They love all things horror, gothic, and Victorian which prompts her friends to dub them as “The Adams Family.”

She is an avid reader who may be slightly obsessed with music. She hears music in a way that she believes the artist intended it to be heard: visually, with a storyline that follows. Listening to the songs by her favorite artists, she was inspired to write her first series titled “The Pendant.”
Cynthia has been published twice in The Writer’s Monthly Magazine as well as the online news site, Yahoo! Voices. She currently attends Diablo Valley College, in Pleasant Hill, California, where she is working to achieve her degree in English.

IndieSage PR

Review for In Flames by Richard Hilary Weber

In Flames: A Thriller
By Richard Hilary Weber

Publisher:  Alibi (An imprint of Random House, LLC)
Release Date: February 3, 23015
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format:  eBook
Length: 167 Pages
ISBN:  9780553393781
ASIN:  B00MKZ9B6M


Buy Links:  *Amazon *B&N * Kobo * B-A-M



About the book:

In Richard H. Weber’s passionate new thriller, a smoldering mystery ignites on a tropical island as lust, murder, and politics collide.

San Iñigo is a jewel of the Caribbean, a playground paradise for the foreign elite, a hell for unfortunate locals. For recent Princeton grad Dan Shedrick, San Iñigo promises the fulfillment of too many desires.

Dan hires on at a powerful American firm as a junior architect, but still finds time for tennis, booze, a reckless affair with the sexy wife of a resort owner—even a bit of reconnaissance for the U.S. cultural attaché. But soon he discovers that nothing on San Iñigo is without consequence. When a much-loved local radio personality is found on a beach with his head blown off, Dan’s lover becomes a suspect. And not long after his foray into espionage, he’s dragged away on a brutal journey into the heart of darkness.

Buffeted by aggression, depraved ritual, and personal betrayal, Dan discovers fierce truths about San Iñigo . . . and himself. In the island’s forbidding mountain jungle, his life goes up in flames—a deadly inferno that will forever change him, if he survives at all.







About Richard Hilary Weber

Richard Hilary Weber, a native of Brooklyn and a Columbia University graduate, has taught at the universities of Stockholm and Copenhagen, and has been a scriptwriter for French and Swedish filmmakers. He lives in Provence, France.







A lover of mysteries, thrillers and romantic suspense, I couldn’t wait to read In Flames by Richard H. Weber.  Set in in a lush tropical paradise and filled with intrigue, forbidden romance and betrayal at almost every turn, Dan Shedrick, Mr. Weber’s protagonist, is a surprising choice as a central character.  Especially when you take into account his age, experience and naiveté.  While I found Mr. Weber’s writing style easy to read and mostly enjoyable, I have to admit that I don’t really believe this fits in the thriller genre; I’m just not sure what genre I would put it in.

A recent graduate from Princeton with no job prospects, Dan Shedrick manages to “luck” into a job working for the XY Company as a junior architect designing oil rigs.  Sent to a lush tropical paradise, San Inigo, Dan starts work and immediately falls in with the local “ex-pats”(Americans living on the island) and their lifestyle.  While life on the island for the ex-pats is one spent drinking, eating and playing sports (tennis, golf, swimming), the island is hardly the tropical paradise one would typically expect.  The government is clearly corrupt and being bolstered by U.S. support in exchange for oil.  Life outside of the ex-pat community is full of danger with armed rebels determined to get their island back and Dan soon finds himself involved in ways he could never have imagined.

While Mr. Weber does a good job developing Dan’s character, he’s not a character I was able to connect with or even really like.  While Dan is clearly young (just graduated from college so I am assuming around 22-23), he’s naïve, foolish and morally weak.  Beginning an affair with his country club host’s wife is just one of the many things Dan does which gets him into hot water.  Agreeing to become a “spy” and solve the murder of a local “radio celebrity” for the American Embassy attaché (AKA CIA Station Chief) for additional money (but no training what-so-ever) is beyond believable (I seriously hope the CIA doesn’t recruit local talent this way).  As if Dan doesn’t have enough on his plate, he’s invited to attend a local “Santeria” ceremony, where as luck would have it, he gets kidnapped by the local rebels, who are being led by a former priest whose fall from grace was a result of Dan’s spying attempts.

The secondary characters are colorful and morally ambiguous at best.  We meet Elaine, the young wife of the country club owner, who uses Dan for more than just an affair.  As one of the central secondary characters, Elaine is colorful and interesting; she introduces Dan to the CIA Station Chief for money, is somehow connected to the death of the local “radio celebrity”, and literally hands Dan over to the rebels on a silver platter.  We also meet the “Padre”, a priest in trouble with the local Bishop and a man who has a lot more on his plate than one would expect for someone in his position.  Things that eventually lead to his being de-frocked and expelled by the local bishop.  We also meet the local “general” in control of the island; a man who was once Elaine’s lover and thinks she is somehow involved in the death of the “radio celebrity”.  He’s not interested in justice or concerned about the welfare of the local people and makes it clear to Dan that he intends to jail whoever gets in his way.

Will Dan find a way to get free from the rebel who have kidnapped him? Will he ever solve the murder of the local “radio celebrity”?  And will he choose to remain on the island or flee back to the US when he gets the chance?  You’ll have to read In Flames to find out.


My Rating: 3 out of 5 Crowns


FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review. 

Friday, March 27, 2015

Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Days of Future Past by Sally Smith O'Rourke


Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Days of Future Past by Sally Smith O’Rourke.  Please leave a comment or question for June to let her know you stopped by.  To enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $15 Amazon or B&N GC, fill out the Rafflecopter below.  You can follow all of the stops of her tour by clicking on the tour banner above.  

Days of Future Past
By Sally Smith O’Rourke


Publisher:  Victorian Essence Press
Release Date: November 29, 2014
Genre: Romance
Length: 386 Pages
ISBN:  9781891437076
ASIN:  B00QEMK5SU

Buy Links:   Amazon | B&N |  Google Books |  Kobo |  Smashwords




About the book:

Things are not always what they seem.

Fate sometimes conspires to right a decades-old wrong. The 6.8 earthquake that strikes Southern California one warm March night is the fateful event that brings family therapist Ann Hart and trauma specialist Ted McConaughy back together.

Twenty years after his betrayal caused the cancellation of their wedding, Ted finds himself in need of Ann’s help. The intense, recurring dreams that are invading his sleep are thought to be memories of past lives. And hypnotherapy, one of Ann’s specialties, may be the cure he seeks.

Their journey defies time and reason, forcing them to re-evaluate their capacity for love and forgiveness.





EXCERPT  


Chapter Eight

Thursday, March 13

The courtyard of Toni’s building was unnervingly quiet. The terrarium-like space with a waterfall-fed pond and stream stood silent and dry. The earthquake must have damaged the water system in the building. It made him wonder if Toni would even be in her office. There was no one around, but the faint sound of clanging metal hammering metal indicated that workers were there.

The door to Toni’s office stood partially open. If she wasn’t there would her door be open? Perhaps her last patient left and the next had not yet arrived. His footsteps seemed to echo in the stillness of the landscaped atrium. He stood at the open door gathering his courage, finally pushing it open the rest of the way.

The office reminded him of a study or library in an English manor house. The centerpiece of the room was a large desk, mahogany perhaps. A dusty rose leather chair sat behind it. At one end of the large room was a conversation area. There was a small oval table separating a loveseat and two comfortable looking chairs. Knowing Toni, he suspected several of the pieces were antique.

There was no trite theme like ‘English Country Cottage’ and no obvious color scheme either. It wasn’t the usual therapist’s office with blue or yellow walls with decorations that theoretically created a calming atmosphere. Like Toni, this room was warm and inviting. It was a gift she had, making people comfortable.

He stepped into the office. At the other end of the room was a spiral staircase of highly polished wood which led to a loft surrounded by railings matching the staircase. He assumed the earthquake had caused the empty shelves that lined the balcony.

He strained to see if she was upstairs and took a few steps backwards until he bumped into one of the chairs in the conversation area. There she was, sitting on the floor stacking books after wiping them off with a cloth. The sun streamed through the skylight highlighting glints of copper in her hair. She was wearing it up, accentuating the curve of her neck. He remembered how the chestnut tresses looked when they tumbled in soft waves over her shoulders and down her back. He sighed.

He hadn’t really seen her yesterday, so he didn’t realize how lovely she still was … yesterday! That was why he was here, to apologize for whatever it was he’d done. He sat on the arm of the closest chair and cleared his throat.

Ann glanced over her shoulder assuming it was one of the workmen who had been coming in and out since she arrived. She couldn’t have been more surprised. She got up and went to the railing.

“How did you find me?”

He blew out the breath he’d been holding. “My powers of deduction are quite remarkable these days … you’re listed in information.”

“Oh.” Her stomach was suddenly tied in knots.

“When did you change your name?”

“I got married, if it’s any of your business.”

“I meant your first name.”

“Ann is more professional than Toni.”

“Toni suits you.”

“It suited the child I was. What do you want?”

“I want to apologize.”

“For what?”

“Yesterday.”

Eager for him to leave, she rushed to say, “Apology accepted.” She hesitated a fraction of a moment. “You can go now,” she said and started to turn away.

“I’d like to talk.”

“About what?”

“You could tell me what you’ve been doing.”

“I have no desire to have a conversation with you about anything, certainly not about my life.” She had the souvenir box from Big Bear in her hand, and she almost threw it at him, but controlled herself. “Look, I accepted the apology for your bizarre behavior yesterday, so why are you still here?”

Ted slipped off the arm of the chair into the seat. “Why are you so angry?”

She glared at him from her perch in the loft and could see in his eyes that he really didn’t know why. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, turning her back to the room. Why was she still angry after all these years? Uncle Jamie had tried many times to get her to purge the anger, but even through her happy years with Alex she held on to it. If she had a patient doing this, she’d be counseling to let it go. So why couldn’t she?

Her thoughts thus engaged and her back to the room she didn’t see Ted move from the conversation area to the foot of the stairs. She turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

“Miss?”

Ann rubbed her eyes dry before turning. “What?”

Speaking with a soft Scottish brogue Ted said, “I would know your name.”

She stepped to the head of the stairs. “What?”

“Your name Miss, what is your name?”

Now, what was happening? Ted was standing there looking up at her, but it wasn’t Ted. What did that even mean? Assuming it would be like yesterday, she braced herself for another explosive confrontation. She looked into his eyes; it definitely wasn’t Ted looking back. What was going on?  Whatever it was, she was concerned that he might become as volatile as he had been the day before so thought it best to play along until she could figure out what he was doing.

Slowly she said, “Ann Hart, my name is Ann Hart.”

He made a deep bow. “Andrew Mcnaughton, at your service, Miss Hart.” His mouth turned into a lopsided grin. “It is Miss, is it not?”

Baffled, but trying to elicit information, she sidestepped his question and asked one of her own. “How do you come to be here Mr. Mcnaughton?”

Continuing in the Scottish brogue he hesitantly answered, “The same way you did, Miss Hart. I boarded at Glasgow.”

“Scotland?”

He chuckled. Obviously it was Scotland for where else would they have been? “Yes. We left Glasgow under full sail at eventide yesterday, and with God’s speed shall arrive in Antigua three weeks hence.” He looked up at her rather quizzically and asked, “Are you in need of the ship’s physician, Miss Hart?”

Unsure what to say about any of it she asked, “Why do you ask?”

“As you are aboard a ship but have no memory of it, I thought perhaps you were in need of medical assistance.”

Still thinking that playing along would answer some questions she responded, “I am quite well, thank you, however, as you suggest I do seem to have lost some time. Can you tell me the date?”

“It is, as of the midnight hour, the tenth of May in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and five.”

A loud rap on the open door made both Ann and Ted turn. A man in gray work clothes looked up at her. “Saw your door standing open, Doc, wanted to check that nothing was amiss.” He looked through squinty eyes at Ted. “Are you all right?”

Ann looked down at Ted, who looked up at her. He was back. He was Ted again. She turned to the workman. “I’m fine. Thanks, Sam.”

Glaring at Ted, he said, “Okay, just makin’ sure.” He left, looking over his shoulder as he went.

Once the workman was gone, she asked, “What’s going on with you?”

Trying to recovery gracefully, from what he wasn’t sure, he answered her question with, “What do you mean?” He glanced around. Before Ann could answer him he said, “How did I get over here?”

“You walked.”

“I guess I mean, why am I over here?”

“Well, you should say what you mean, and mean what you say.”

“Hmmm, I believe we’ve had that conversation before.” She couldn’t help but smile, remembering their first meeting.

She was about to ask him about his odd behavior again, when he cleared his throat and pulled the rose out of the pocket of his jacket. He took a few more steps up the stairs, and then held it out to her. “I brought this as a bit of a peace offering. It reminded me of you.”

His sporadic and peculiar behavior was pushed to a back burner, and curiosity now replaced her anger. Hesitantly she said, “It’s beautiful.” It was almost a question. Taking a few steps down, she accepted the proffered bloom, “I’ve never seen a rose this color. Where did you get it?”

“The Huntington Library.”

“I didn’t know the Huntington sold individual blossoms like this.”

Quietly and with downcast eyes he admitted, “I didn’t buy it, exactly.”

“Exactly?” Realization struck, and her eyes popped wide open. “You picked it!?! You stole it from the rose garden?”

He looked, for all the world, like a small boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Then she saw a smile come into his eyes that spoke of satisfaction. She couldn’t help herself; she laughed.

“I’ve never been given a pilfered rose before.” She smiled.

It was nice that she wasn’t angry about it. “I couldn’t resist it.”

“I could probably have your library membership revoked and have you banned permanently from even being allowed in.”

“But you wouldn’t, would you?”

Unable to deny her amusement, Ann conceded that she would not. The ‘girl on the swing’ clock chimed the half hour. Ted glanced at his watch.

“I need to go,” he said as he took the few steps still separating them. “It was wonderful seeing you again.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek then rushed down the stairs. At the door he turned back, “I’ll call you,” he said and left.


Ann’s mind was in complete turmoil. But when she calmed down and thought about it for a second, she found that she really enjoyed the exchange. She sat on the step in the middle of the staircase, and inhaled the fragrance of the rose. A pilfered flower. She shook her head, making no effort to stop the grin from spreading across her face. She was amazed at how comfortable it was being with him, but even more amazed that she wanted to hear from him.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 “Where shall I begin? Which of all my important nothings shall I tell you first?” (J.A. June 15, 1808)

That I reside in the Victorian village of Monrovia, California; a mere two miles from my place of employment. A local hospital where I spend most daylight hours in the operating room as a scrub nurse.

That I am a native Californian, having been born in Glendale, and spent most of my life here with a relatively short span of years in Reno, Nevada where I attended school. Returning after graduation I have remained in sunny SoCal.

That I was widowed some time ago. That I have very domestic hobbies like sewing, cooking, baking, candy making and cake decorating. Oh, yes I write, too. Mike, my late husband and teacher, taught me that writing has to be treated like a job so every day no matter how tired I am I edit, research one or more projects and write.

That I have finished the sequel to The Man Who Loves Jane Austen with Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen; have started a story of reincarnation that takes place in Pasadena, CA and am making notes for a ghost story set in San Francisco. Three stories running around in my head and often colliding but I untangle the debris and continue on.

There you have a few of my nothings.



Twiiter:  https://twitter.com/Chawton1810  (@Chawton1810)



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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for The Kill Shot by Nichole Christoff

The Kill Shot
By Nichole Christoff
A Jamie Sinclair Novel, Book 2

Publisher:  Alibi
Release Date: March 17, 2015
Genre:  Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Length:  289 Pages
ISBN:  9781101883013
ASIN:  B00N6PEWOG







About the book:

In an explosive thriller for readers of Lee Child, Alex Berenson, and Brad Taylor, P.I. and security specialist Jamie Sinclair finds herself caught in a dangerous game of international cat-and-mouse.

Jamie Sinclair’s father has never asked her for a favor in her life. The former two-star general turned senator is more in the habit of giving his only child orders. So when he requests Jamie’s expertise as a security specialist, she can’t refuse—even though it means slamming the brakes on her burgeoning relationship with military police officer Adam Barrett. Just like that, Jamie hops aboard a flight to London with a U.S. State Department courier carrying a diplomatic pouch in an iron grip.

Jamie doesn’t have to wait long to put her unique skills to good use. When she and the courier are jumped by goons outside the Heathrow terminal, Jamie fights them off—but the incident puts her on high alert. Someone’s willing to kill for the contents of the bag. Then a would-be assassin opens fire in crowded Covent Garden, and Jamie is stunned to spot a familiar face: Adam Barrett, who saves her life with a single shot and calmly slips away. Jamie’s head—and her heart—tell her that something is very wrong. But she’s come way too far to turn back now.



About Nichole Christoff
Nichole Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada. Christoff is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America. She also belongs to Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and three of RWA’s local chapters where she’s served as an officer and a member of the board. In Christoff’s first year as a member of RWA, her first manuscript won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. Her second manuscript won a Helen McCloy Scholarship from Mystery Writers of America. Her last manuscript was a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Her latest novel, The Kill Shot, is a 2014 Killer Nashville Claymore Dagger finalist.


I am still out of town on a family emergency, however, I will be returning home and will be posting this review ASAP.



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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Virtual Tour & #Giveaway for Afterlife or Bust by June Mayes

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Afterlife or Bust by June Mayes.  Please leave a comment or question for June to let her know you stopped by.  To enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $10 Amazon or B&N GC, fill out the Rafflecopter below.  You can follow all of the stops of her tour by clicking on the tour banner above.  


Afterlife or Bust
By June Mayes
The Afterlife, Book 2

Publisher:  June Mayes
Release Date: December 30, 2014
Genre: Paranormal/Satire
Length: 140 Pages
ASIN:  B00RM9XRIO


Buy Link:  Amazon 




About the book: 


Lizzie is making the best of her life, er afterlife. She's working hard being a doctor to all things supernatural and for the most part has managed to behave. With her daytime watcher in tow and a very enticing Master Vampire turning up the heat of their romance, things couldn’t be better.

Of course things could get worse and do. Being killed again was not part of Lizzie’s agenda and having to navigate the politics of all things that go bump in the night is just icing on the afterlife cake. But Lizzie has plans. She's going to make her death worth living and she is going to drag everyone else along kicking and screaming.


EXCERPT



“Sure, I’ll ask them to make an appointment for you, and Bob’s your uncle. All I need is your name.“ I smiled and was surprised that my canines were down and in full view. Either there was a threat here I was less than aware of or I was a little hungry. Hmm yup, no bleeding patients yet today. I would need to go in search of an unwary patient or two.

“Cuthbert.” The gargoyle brought me back to what I was doing with that simple pronouncement. “But I don’t have an Uncle Bob.”

“Forget Bob. Your name is Cuthbert?” I repeated, stunned.

“Yes,” he continued to smile at me. Well, it was more a tiny upturn of one side of his lips, which could have been a grimace or gas come to think of it. No, I was going with smile. He did genuinely look a little happier, which was a good sign. I did have to look down and try to school my expression into a calm understanding doctor face before I looked back up at him.

“A gargoyle named Cuthbert.”

“Correct.” Okay, now I know he was smiling. There was a dimple in one cheek and everything. Course it came and went so fast you would have needed vampire vision to see the dimple. But hey, that’s why I was the vampire doctor.

“OK,” I said calmly before leaving the room, closing the door behind me. Godzilla came up as if to discuss something, and I just shook my head at her. Cuthbert the gargoyle. Great.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

June Mayes is a Cape Cod born and bred writer who lived in London for 10 years before returning home. She’s a hopeless romantic with a passion for writing all sorts of genre. Her days are spent juggling family life, walking the dog, writing and reading books, more books and even more books!






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