Virtual Book Tour for Wanted: One Ghost by Loni Lynne

Welcome to my stop on Loni Lynne’s Virtual Book Tour for Wanted: One Ghost. Please make sure to leave a comment or question for Loni to let her know you stopped by. Loni will be awarding a $15 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter, don’t forget to leave your email with your comment so Loni can notify you in case you win.   You can follow Loni’s tour here, the more often you comment the better your odds of winning.

The Challenges of Entering the Writing World As Technology and Trends Are in Flux by Loni Lynne

       When I first considered becoming an ‘author’ I was still under grand impressions of sending out 200-300 page manuscripts tied with string and boxed to end up in a pile (hopefully not a ‘slush’ pile) on a New York publishers desk. This, alas, was many, many eons ago—back before everyone could afford to have a personal computer in their home much less have any clue what the internet or email was all about.  All I knew was to be an author you must have an agent and only through them could you get your foot in the door of any of the big names in the book publishing industry. Now with the invention of the eBook and the ease of marketing to millions of people around the world, authors and publishers alike found it was just as easy to get a book or name out without all the ‘middle men’ of the industry. This would save everyone time and money in the long run.

       We are all aware that technology changes in a heartbeat. By the time a new cell phone hits the market—it’s outdated a few weeks to a few months later until the ‘next best thing’ comes along. With the inception of the eBook, I think the book industry was as skeptical about them as many of us were with the idea of having an ‘internet’. It wasn’t a real book or a real publishing company because it was all done over the computer. We didn’t have the ease to read an eBook at our disposal. You had to download it to your computer. How could we curl up with our computers at the end of the day?

       Enter the various portable devices to hold all of our downloadable eBooks. We could take it anywhere with us, access a book without waiting for a store to open and view any genre we wanted to read at our discretion. For a writer this meant greater access to the public, a new format to market books you’d previously published. For the publisher, greater demand, less middle man and more profit. With the cost being so reasonable to publish a book, Indie publishers popped up out of the shadows of the big, New York publishers. This also became a challenge for writers looking for someone who was legitimate and going to be there in the long run. Now many of the Indie publishers are proper nouns in the book industry and creating a stir in the market.

       Soon self-publishing became a trend. Why wait to have someone pick up your book to publish when you could do it yourself? Today, many self-published authors have hit the market full speed ahead and reached more readers than ever imagined. But the market is an ever changing tide, too. When I first started reading romance, historical romances were the thing; in the 90’s and on into the new millennium, vampires and werewolves. A new genre of YA came to entertain a younger, more accepting generation of readers wanting something geared more to their interests. Now the trend is going a step further into New Adult, a market to engage the late teens/early twenty year olds. Tomorrow could bring on a whole new genre. For some, they write for the market, others write what they love and hope for a market to accept them.

       With all this at our disposal the challenges are many. We are now our own marketers and promoters. We have the technology to publish ourselves but we find our time to write is taken over with focusing on getting out there. We have to learn the programs to utilize management of our publications keep track of what the market expects and hope for the best.  We are at times adrift on a vast, turbulent ocean struggling to reach the other side, making sure we are rowing in the direction we need to be.

       It can be done…stay focused, stay afloat and remember to keep your head above water to see what the next wave brings.  

Wanted: One Ghost

By Loni Lynne

Publisher: Crescent Moon Publishing

Release Date: May 31, 2013

Genre: Paranormal

Buy Links:  Amazon │B&N 

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Book Description:

Stuck in ghostly limbo for 238 years, James Addison can't move on to an afterlife.  After being falsely accused of treason and executed, fate's cursed him to remain an earth-bound specter until he meets a historian sent to research his past.

Distrustful of fate, Dr. April Branford wants to be taken seriously, but her unique ability to divine history by touching objects seriously compromises her credibility. Her latest assignment?  James Addison, a legendary colonial ladies' man with a shadowy past.  Without much to go on, she doesn't hold out much hope to discover the man behind the legend until the day she accidentally touches him and brings him back to life.

With the help of family and ghosts from James’s past, they unravel the truth. But after falling in love and with time running out, it’s hard for April to believe in fate and a future where forever is now.

Excerpt:

“Who are you?”April asked.

“You already know the answer, Dr. Branford. You saw me out at the mill the other day.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re…James Addison.”

She knew. But whether or not she accepted the knowledge was yet to be seen.

“Really, I did want to tell you the truth about me, but I couldn’t. Not knowing how you would react, I couldn’t take the chance of having you run away from me. I don’t want you to fear me, or what I am. You’re the only person who has ever been able to see me in this form. But more importantly, you’re the only person who’s cared.”

She stopped and turned. “I can see you. But you’re not real…I don’t know…”

“You make me feel real again,” he said softly.

She muttered profanities under her breath. “I don’t have time for ghosts. I’ve a case to solve. Go back to wherever it is you came from.” April waved him off.

“I can’t. This is where I am. Right here, right now. There is no place for me to go back to.” James knew this couldn’t be easy for her to understand. “Perhaps I could be of assistance to you, since you know who I am.”

“How do I know you really are James Addison?”

“You don’t,” he agreed. “But what would it take to prove to you I am?”

“Tell me where he is buried,” she challenged.

James shrugged. “Easy enough, but I would prefer to show you.” 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Loni Lynne is a stay at home mom, domestic goddess, U.S. Navy Veteran and lover of all things vintage/shabby-chic/Victorian and antique. From china cups

and tea sets to lace doilies crocheted by hand (her grandmother made the best) she believes a touch of femininity never goes out of style.

Growing up all over the country she's been blessed with experiencing a good deal of culture and lifestyles. Much like her personality, she has eclectic tastes in what she likes to read and write. There is no 'one' genre in which

she settles for.

God and fate have been big influences in her life. Both have taken her to places she never thought she'd be, both in the physical sense and in the spiritual. She wrote brief stories and snippets of life as it happened to her in her youth, and encouraged by her teachers, continued to write. Blessed with a loving supportive family growing up, she was able to explore her options which at times have been put into use in her stories. The Navy--and fate, afforded her the opportunity to meet her Army, "Annapolis-native" husband and team up with him to parent two beautiful daughters.

Years later, her husband gave her the best birthday present ever--a laptop, a membership to Romance Writers of America and a goal to complete a manuscript for submission by her next birthday. She did it. A few years later she was blessed with one of those novels, Wanted: One Ghost, as her debut novel.

Believe in Fate

Links:

http://www.lonilynne.com

http://www.crescentmoonpress.com

https://twitter.com/#!/LoniLynne1

https://www.facebook.com/lonilynne

My Review

A revolutionary ghost, a woman with the gift of psychomety and America’s early history all play a part in Loni Lynne’s paranormal romance, Wanted: One Ghost.  Well developed characters, good dialogue and a century’s old mystery kept me turning the pages to discover what was going to happen next.  Excellent world building and good secondary characters really helped make this an enjoyable book.

Born with the gift of psychometry, Dr. April Branford wants to make a name for herself and be taken seriously by her colleagues.  Assigned to research and see if she could discover any additional details on James Addison, a colonial ladies man with a somewhat shady reputation, April is surprised to meet a “tour guide” with some interesting insight.  Especially since he’s dressed in period clothing and enjoys putting on a little dance for her.  She just wasn’t prepared to discover her “tour guide” is the actual ghost of James Addison, who’s been stuck near his historical home until his spirit can make the crossover.

Stuck near his home for almost 200 years, James Addison can’t figure out why he hasn’t been able to pass on to the next phase.  Meeting a cute woman who can actually see him after all of these years is completely unexpected.  Realizing she might be able to help him figure out why he hasn’t been able to move on is only natural.  Falling in love with her and actually getting a body is completely unexpected.

The scenes between April and James are well written and lots of fun.  Ms. Lynne does a pretty good job developing them both as individuals and as a couple.  Watching them fall in love, even though they are centuries apart in behavior and background, was fun and I enjoyed how Ms. Lynne brought them together.

The secondary characters, particularly April’s family – who all have some kind of psychic gift, are well done and contribute a lot to this story.  The other ghosts who make appearances are interesting too.  It’s clear Ms. Lynne did her research when it comes to the historical setting and world building and for me it’s always fun to revisit America’s revolutionary time period.

Will April and James be able to solve the centuries old mystery behind his death?  Will a ghost with a grudge make a future between April and James impossible?  And what happens when one of James current day descendants becomes involved?  You’ll have to read Wanted: One Ghost to find out.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Lynne’s work.

My rating:  4 out of Crowns

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I did not receive any additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.

Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Loni to let her know you stopped by. Loni will be awarding a $15 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter, don’t forget to leave your email with your comment so Loni can notify you in case you win.   You can follow Loni’s tour here, the more often you comment the better your odds of winning.

Super Book Blast & Giveaway for The Vigilante by Jacqui Morrison

Welcome to my stop on Jacqui Morrison’s Super Book Blast for The Vigilante.  Please leave a comment or question for Jacqui to let her know you stopped by.  Jacqui will be awarding Loose Tea and Chipnuts to two randomly drawn commenters during this tour and the Virtual Reviews Tour combined.  You can follow her tour dates here. Don't forget to leave your email address with your comment so Jacqui can contact you if you are the winner. 

 The Vigilante

By Jacqui Morrison

Publisher: Lachesis Publishing, Inc

Release Date: July 10, 2013

Buy Links:  Amazon │B&N │Lachesis

Book Description: 

It isn’t safe for men who work in the porn business in the city of Toronto.

When porn producer Sal Turbit is found dead in his apartment, no one seems to care. No one, that is, except Detective Lynette Wilton. Lynette has been a homicide detective for only three months, and has yet to earn her stripes.

Murder is murder no matter who the victim is—and Lynette is out to catch a killer. 

Could the killer be Wanda Chambers, a mentally ill woman who hates the “scumbags” who prey on the vulnerable? Wanda’s beloved sister, Cathy, was one such woman. Cathy became a porn actress and then took her own life when her sleazy manager/boyfriend, Gil Lee, wouldn’t let her go.

Lynette’s sergeant doesn’t think it’s possible. Wanda has a debilitating illness. But Lynette believes that Wanda’s hatred and harsh childhood make her a prime suspect, and she proves it by catching Wanda in the act of attempting to shoot Lee.

Renowned defense lawyer Maxine Swayman takes on Wanda’s case; Maxine has a different view of the accused. She wants to help Wanda get the help that she needs, and it’s not going to happen in a prison cell.

As the trial proceeds, will Maxine prevail and save Wanda, or will Lynette be able to tie Wanda to Turbit’s murder as well? 

"Morrison knows how to create suspense! She brings readers on a roller-coaster ride that leaves you breathless from start to finish!" —Trey Anthony, star and producer “Da Kink in Da Hair”

Excerpt  Chapter 1

“Hey,” Sal said, “come on in. You’re right on time. Good to meet ya.” He left the visitor in the living room of his shabby apartment in a grungy, low-rent building, and slipped into the kitchen. The metallic pop of a beer bottle opening echoed in the other room. Then another.

Six empty beer bottles, a heaping ashtray, and assorted marijuana paraphernalia were already strewn across his table. The grandfather clock struck four times. Sal stumbled back into the room. “I got you a beer.”

Glassy-eyed, Sal said, “I’ve got lots of great products for you to move today.” He showed the visitor the cover of a DVD. “This one is new. It’ll sell out. She’s a real sweet thing. Told me she was eighteen ’n had the ID to prove it. Likely just some little tramp from nowhere-ville. Came to the big, bad city for excitement––”

The metal felt cool as the visitor pulled out a gun.

“What the hell?” Sal screamed, just before the bullet penetrated his skull.

He fell onto the sofa, blood oozing out the back of his head. His face was contorted, almost angry looking. Certainly surprised.

The spent cartridge from the handgun ricocheted against a metal garbage can––reminiscent of the pop of a beer cap––and then landed on the carpet.

The murderer studied the victim’s splayed body, feeling a sense of elation and satisfaction. Out came a Swiss Army knife, and the killer wordlessly hacked off a section of Sal’s hair, stuffed it into a small plastic bag, and then threw it into a knapsack. The killer then picked up the half-spilled beer that Sal had been handing over when the shot was fired. Perfect. Grinning, the murderer chugged the beer, retrieved the spent cartridge, and smugly looked at Sal Turbit’s still body, now surrounded by pooling blood.

Still wearing leather gloves, the murderer put the beer bottle and hot metal bullet charge into a knapsack and fled, smiling, into the dense night.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I am Jacqui Morrison. I started writing poems and short stories as a child. I also enjoyed public speaking in elementary school and at University. In High School, a great teacher, Lenore Hawley, inspired me and in 1995 I pursued my life-long passion for writing.

 My career is a complicated web and includes: owning an ice cream parlour and fine food shop, teaching life-skills management to adults, teaching computer applications, social service work and marketing.

From 1994 to 2003, I assisted survivors of domestic violence in both criminal and family court as a support worker. I’ve always had a strong interest in law and justice.

I love to write and I am happiest writing or encouraging others to fulfill their writing dreams. I facilitate writing seminars for Canadore College and various agencies.

I live in northern Ontario, Canada with my daughter Alison, my husband Wayne, and a three-legged dog named Willow. Our daughter has convinced us to adopt four cats so Felix, Sasha, Nikke and Angel round out our family. Angel, at four-months-of-age was abandoned by its owner and we rescued her in -15 degree weather.

Alison has a future in politics, animal rescue work or sales … because I’m not really a cat person and she’s persuaded me to adopt four.

My parents are the late Drs John and Irene Morrison. Mom was a family physician and a competitive swimmer. My father worked for the Provincial Parole Board. Dad enjoyed to write fictional stories in his spare time. He was my mentor, my editor and my hero. I have one sister named Trish. She is a competitive swimming coach. Trish resides in southern Ontario with her husband, four children, two dogs and a cat.

In our spare time we like to cruise Georgian Bay on our boat or spend quality family time.

Her Website: http://jacquimorrison.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacqui.morrison

Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Jacqui to let her know you stopped by.  Jacqui will be awarding Loose Tea and Chipnuts to two randomly drawn commenters during this tour and the Virtual Reviews Tour combined.  You can follow her tour dates here. Don't forget to leave your email address with your comment so Jacqui can contact you if you are the winner. 

Virtual Book Tour for The Paris Lawyer by Sylvie Granotier

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour for The Paris Lawyer by Sylvie Granotier.  Please leave a comment or question for Sylvia to let her know you stopped by.  You can follow the tour here. 

The Paris Lawyer
By Sylvie Granotier
Translated by Anne Trager

Publisher: Le French Book

Release Date: July 2, 2012

Genre: Legal Procedural / Psychological Thriller
Pages: 400

ISBN: 978-0985320607

Available at Amazon │ Barnes & Noble │  Kobo │iTunes

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Book Description:

As a child, she was the only witness to a heinous crime. Now, Catherine Monsigny is an ambitious rookie attorney in Paris, working for a well-known firm. On the side, she does pro bono work and hits the jackpot: a major felony case that could boost her career. A black woman is accused of poisoning her rich farmer husband in a peaceful village in central France, where nothing ever happens.

While preparing the case, Catherine’s own past comes back with a vengeance. This fast-paced story follows Catherine’s determined search for the truth in both her case and her own life. Who can she believe? And can you ever escape from your past? The story twists and turns, combining subtle psychological insight with detailed descriptions of the region.

The Paris Lawyer won the Grand Prix Sang d’Encre crime fiction award in 2011. 

Praise For The Paris Lawyer

“Sylvie Granotier’s The Paris Lawyer is a beautifully written and elegantly structured novel of a woman’s attempt to solve the central mystery of her life, along with several other mysteries along the way. It captures the reader from the first page, and never lets go.” — Thomas H. Cook, winner of the Martin Beck Award, Barry Award for Best Novel, Edgar Award for Best Novel.

 About the Author:

Author, screenwriter and actress Sylvie Granotier loves to weave plots that send shivers up your spine. She was born in Algeria and grew up in Paris and Morocco. She studied literature and theater in Paris, then set off traveling —the United States, Brazil, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, ending with a tour of Europe.  She wound up in Paris again, an actress, with a job and some recognition. But she is a writer at heart, and started her publishing career translating Grace Paley’s short story collection Enormous Changes at the Last Minute into French.

Fourteen novels and many short stories later, Sylvie Granotier is a major crime fiction author in France. She has met with continued success, and is translated into German, Italian, Russian and Greek. The Paris Lawyer is her first novel to be translated into English. This legal procedural that doubles as a psychological thriller is full of plot twists that bring us into the heart of French countryside, La Creuse, a place full of nineteenth-century landscapes and dark secrets. Sylvie splits her time between Paris and the Creuse.

Awards

Prix du Sang d’Encre 2011 for the French version ofThe Paris Lawyer.

My Review

Both a double mystery and a coming of age tale, The Paris Lawyer by Sylvie Granotier is the intriguing tale of a young female lawyer as she begins her professional career.  Well developed characters, good dialogue, and two solid mysteries kept me turning the pages.  While not a rapidly paced book, Ms. Granotier’s does a good job describing both Paris and the French countryside where the action takes place.

Fresh from her first trial victory, defending a man accused of assault, attorney Catherine Monsigny, is thrilled to discover she’s being assigned to a high profile case.  Chosen to defend Myriam Villetreix, a woman accused of murdering her wealthy and older husband, Catherine looks forward to a case that can make or break her career.  With her boss’s approval, Catherine heads from Paris to Guéret, where the couple lived and the murder took place.  Planning to investigate her client’s case and prepare her defense, Catherine is not prepared to have to deal with her own personal issues at the same time. 

Arriving in Guéret, Catherine soon realizes nothing is quite as it seems.  While Myriam Villetreix insists she’s innocent and has only been accused of murdering her husband because his cousins want her out of the way so they can claim the substantial inheritance, Catherine discovers Myriam is not exactly what she claims.  Meanwhile, Catherine also has to deal with her own emotional problems.  Being in Guéret brings back memories of her mother’s murder, which took place in a neighboring town when Catherine was only three. 

Ms. Granotier does an excellent job developing her characters; it was easy to identify with the Catherine and her youthful ambitions.  At some point or another in our careers, we’ve all wanted to get noticed and promoted because of our work.  It’s also easy to identify with Catherine, the young daughter who was present at her mother’s murder but can’t remember anything of what took place.  

                                                                                            Giving us the viewpoint of several different characters, this psychological thriller showcases the woman Catherine has become.  As she gets to know both Myriam and her mother, she begins to get the real picture of what took place with both women, which will eventually enable her to get some closure.  It also helps her understand her father, whose reluctance to dig into his wife’s case has always been about his daughter’s peace of mind.

Will Catherine be able to prove her client’s innocence?  Will she discover her mother’s killer’s identity?  You’ll have to read The Paris Lawyer to find out.  I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.  I received no additional compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided. 

Promo - Reading Addiciton Blog Tours Summer Sale

Time is almost up to take advantage of the Reading Addiction Blog Tours Summer Discount. All Tours/PROMO's must start before August 31st to be eligible.  *Note, there is a 2-week notice for all PROMO's and a 4-week notice for all Tours! So make sure you book ASAP! * Summer Discount PROMOTION Reading Addiction Blog Tours will is offering 15% Off to All Authors who book a Tour/PROMO this summer! (Tours must start by August 31st) Contact us HERE and mention the CODE WORD: SUMMER

Kindle Bargain Spotlight

On sale as part of a special promo for two weeks, starting July 19, 2013 through August 2, 2013.

Destination Wedding

by Robyn Neeley

Publisher: Crimson Romance

Release date: June 10, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 188 Pages

Special Price $.99 on Kindle

Book Description: 

Wedding planner Kate Ashby’s fear of flying is eased by a sexy stranger and one slow lip lock that rockets her into another obit.

CEO Luke Cannon has just traded seats with his identical twin. Little did he know that an innocent kiss while pretending he was his brother would soon create havoc.

What happens in the air doesn’t stay up there. Once on tropical land, Kate believes that the handsome stranger who gave her the best kiss of her life is now her new client, Drew Cannon, fiancé to the beautiful and wealthy Lauren Kincaid. While Kate struggles with the intense feelings she thinks she has for Drew, Luke discovers Kate’s been hired to plan his brother’s destination wedding. He also realizes the initial sparks they shared 30,000 feet up are now mistakenly aimed at Drew.

Can Luke get Kate to realize that the feelings she has are for him? He’s got forty-eight hours in paradise to try.

Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Promo Blitz for Just My Luck by Rosalind James

Just My Luck - PROMO Blitz

By Rosalind James

(Escape to New Zealand #5)

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: 7/13/2013

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A little distraction can be a wonderful thing.

Nate Torrance has a job to do, and the biggest rugby boots in the world to fill. He can’t afford to lose his focus, especially not to a brown-eyed Canadian who pushes all his buttons and looks much too good in a climbing harness.

Allison Villiers may not know what she wants to do with her life, but she’s clear about one thing. She’s not impressed by the new captain of the All Blacks, however big a deal he is to the rest of New Zealand. If only her unfortunate taste for adventure didn’t keep leading her astray . . .

EXCERPT

“How are you finding Wellington so far?” Nate asked when they were out on the water. He’d managed to launch them from the beach with a shove, and even climb in again behind her without any mishaps. Ally was actually a little sorry. She’d been half-anticipating going over, and enjoying the prospect of teasing him about it. He definitely needed it.

“I love it,” she said, keeping up a steady stroke and feeling the calm that always came over her when she was surrounded by sea and sky, enjoying the effort, the rhythmic motion. She was going to be out here with him for a while, so she might as well keep this pleasant. She didn’t even have to look at him, after all. You couldn’t really turn around in a double kayak without tipping the thing, which was probably for the best in this case. “I’ve been wandering around getting happily lost, and finding my way home again. It’s a lively place, isn’t it? Lots of outdoor stuff to do too, and as you know, that’s my favorite thing.”

“It can get a bit wet and windy,” he cautioned.

“I’ve heard,” she said, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. “I’ve had a few discussions about the weather already, you see.”

She heard him groan. “I’m rubbish at chatting girls up,” he admitted, surprising a laugh from her. “I never know what to say. Everything’s either dull, or it sounds like a pickup line. I generally end up opting for dull.”

“Honesty works, though,” she told him. “That was pretty good right there.”

“Really.” He sounded surprised. “I should throw myself on your mercy, you think?”

“Definitely. A strong man being endearingly awkward . . . I like it. It’s an approach, anyway.”

“Better than spilling a beer on her, I reckon,” he said.

“Much better." She realized that she was paddling along with a smile on her face. Why hadn’t she met this guy before? She liked him.

“I’ll try again, then,” he said. “Did you spend Christmas here as well, on the Coromandel?”

“No, in Auckland. And it rained one day, but otherwise the weather was good. Just to anticipate you.”

He laughed. “Do anything special?”

“I did, actually. I bungy jumped off the Sky Tower. Kristen’s Christmas present.”

“Crikey. This is me shuddering back here."

“No, really?” she asked in surprise. “It was amazing. You should try it.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he decided.

“You don’t like thrills?”

“I love thrills. Know how to get them, too. And it’s not by jumping off buildings.”

Wow. She didn’t think she’d pursue that one. Maybe he meant rugby. Yeah, right. He hadn’t meant rugby.

Rosalind James

Author Bio:

Rosalind James is the author of the bestselling “Escape to New Zealand” series, as well as "Welcome to Paradise," her first book in the new U.S.-based "Kincaids" series.

Rosalind divides her time between California and New Zealand.

Authors Links

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