Book Blitz & Giveaway for His Hometown Girl by Karen Rock

He'd always managed to best her…

Jodi Chapman will do whatever it takes to get top care for her autistic son. If that means going home and convincing local farmers to sell their land, so be it. Even if her biggest opponent, childhood rival Daniel Gleason, is equally determined to convince farmers to buy into his co-op plan. And he's not playing fair.

Facing off against Daniel is the last thing Jodi wants. The attraction that's always fueled their competitiveness is as strong as ever and just as distracting. But with both their futures on the line, and years of distrust between them, how can they ever be on the same side?

 PREORDER

At last, off they went with a jerk that made her teeth knock together.
Wow. The thrum of the machine beneath her and the sense of control as she steered filled her with a rush of adrenaline. It’d been such a long time since she’d driven a tractor, and the thrill of it returned to her. The wind whipped her hair behind her, carrying away her fear. Tyler’s screeching echoed her own elation and the air she breathed smelled slightly sweet, like growing things.
When she looked over her shoulder, Sue waved and Daniel jogged beside them. When they rounded the last barn and headed out into lush, open fields, Tyler squealed and she wanted to join him. She hadn’t been surrounded by this much unbroken greenery in a long time. Even when she spoke with farmers, she met them in their homes, not on their fields. Perhaps she should have followed up on Midland’s purchases and seen the improvements they’d made as Daniel had suggested. She’d actually missed this. When she returned to Aunt Grace’s house, she would set up an appointment with a company farm and bring Daniel as promised.
Daniel disappeared for a moment and she thought they’d left him behind until she felt the tractor dip in back and his voice whisper in her ear.
“So far so good.”
She shivered in awareness of his proximity as he balanced behind them on the storage box. His fingers rested on her shoulders as he stood to his full height.
Jodi peeked up at him and took in the handsome picture he made. Beltless, low-slung jeans rode on his narrow hips and a thin T-shirt stretched across his well-defined chest. From this angle, his jaw looked more square than ever, his muscular neck rising from broad shoulders. The bright blue sky behind him contrasted with his dark hair and hazel eyes.
Another bone-jarring mud hole made Tyler flap his hands and Jodi return her eyes to the straightaway. And that’s when she saw them...
Strawberries.
The sun-kissed rows of plants stretched to a distant tree line, the berries so blood-ripe, so rich and lovely, that the invitation to pluck and sink her teeth into them was irresistible. How long since she’d gathered fruit? Delight filled her.
“The local schools and families have picked most of the fields, but this section is unharvested,” he hollered over the engine’s roar.
“Okay.” She slowed the machine, feeling shaky but victorious when it rolled to a stop. Since her father’s accident, she’d avoided machinery like this. Now she’d conquered it, and a feeling of lightness grew within her.
Daniel jumped off and held out a hand, his eyes dancing. The sun brought out the lighter brown in his hair and made the yellow flecks in his eyes shine like gold beneath thick lashes. “Ready?”
More than, she thought, her excitement hard to contain. She wanted to rush through the rows of plants, trailing her fingers along the crinkly leaves, inhaling the earthy goodness. Her hands fumbled to take out Tyler’s earplugs before she undid the buckle and handed him to Daniel. He held the wiggling boy with one hand and extended another to help her down.
“Thank you. Oh.” An idea pulled her up short when her heels sunk into the ground. “What will we put the berries in?”
Daniel grinned, set down Tyler and raised the lid on his storage bin. He dumped some tools from a container and lifted his shirt to wipe it, exposing a toned stomach that Jodi did her best to ignore. She took the container and followed the twosome into the strawberry patch.
The site of him shuffling beside her son, his large hand enveloping Tyler’s as they trod down the plant rows, made her heart skip a beat. Tyler peered up at Daniel the way he’d looked at the tractor. And maybe for him, the two were in the same category. For the past year it’d been just her and Tyler, and now seeing him with Daniel made her wish her son had a strong male role model.
Daniel glanced over his shoulder, his profile outlined by the sun streaming over distant treetops. “How does this look?” He swept his arm in a circle, and all around, plump berries peeked through jagged-edged oval leaves.
“Perfect. I mean, fine.” She cleared her throat. “This is good. Thanks.” Why was she babbling like a schoolgirl? This was Daniel. Not a man she’d see romantically. Not again. Daniel got on his knees, pinched off a deep red fruit and handed it to Tyler. “Want
one?”
Tyler shoved it in his mouth, then patted Daniel’s cheeks.
Daniel smiled up at her. “I’m thinking that’s a yes.”
She got on her knees beside him and kicked off her horrible shoes. It warmed her from
the inside out to see Tyler so excited and interactive. She wouldn’t let her rivalry, or her conflicting emotions with Daniel, spoil this moment.
“I’d say so!” Happiness added a lilt of laughter to her voice and Daniel eyed her, his expression wary. Maybe he was afraid of her charms for a change.
She plucked berries and placed them in the container. Daniel followed suit and, to her amazement, Tyler grabbed a few, as well. They might have been squashed, flattened even, but they were the best berries in the world as far as she was concerned.

Karen Rock has adored romance since receiving Harlequin Presents books from her grandmother each summer. She formed her Young Adult writing partnership, J.K. Rock- pseudonym for the CAMP BOYFRIEND series, with her sister-in-law and Blaze author, Joanne Rock in 2011. When Karen heard of a call for submissions to Heartwarming, Harlequin’s latest line, she was inspired by the possibilities of writing unforgettable, deeply romantic, tender love stories that mothers would feel comfortable sharing with their daughters. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother's family recipes, hiking the ‘high peaks’, and redesigning her gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love.

For more information about Karen's upcoming books, check out her website at http://www.karenrock.com, Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/karenrockwrites or follow her on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/karenrock5 . She’d love to hear from you!

Website ☆ Facebook ☆ Twitter ☆ Goodreads

GIVEAWAY #1
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
-$50 Amazon Gift Card
-SIGNED copy of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL by Karen Rock

2nd & 3rd PRIZE WINNERS
-SIGNED copies of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL by Karen Rock

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GIVEAWAY #2

GRAND PRIZE WINNER
-$25 Gift Card (Amazon or B&N)
-Shadow's Curse by Alexa Egan
-A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson
-His Reluctant Rancher by Roxanne Snopek
-Free Fall by Karen Foley

To enter: Pre-order a copy of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL on Kindle http://amzn.to/1eveD3C or Nook http://bit.ly/1ktNqWq!
Email a copy or picture of your receipt to karenrock@live.com along with-
Your name:
Your email address:
Blog you found the contest on:
You'll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Nobles (your choice) as well as the four books in the prize picture.

LAST DAY TO ENTER IS FEBRUARY 28!

A heartwarming second chance romance, Karen Rock’s His Hometown Girl focuses on the healing power of love and on the crucial roles that home, family and community play in all of our lives.  Well developed characters, good dialogue and a child with special needs kept me turning the pages from start to finish.  Set in a rural community determined to keep its identity through a tough economy and a changing society, Ms. Rock’s book made a lasting impression on me.

A single mother trying to do what’s best for her autistic son, Jodi Chapman needs more money than her salary and child support provide.  Presented with an opportunity to get both a coveted promotion at work and a generous bonus, Jodi finds herself going back home to the farm community she left behind to talk the farmers into selling their land.  She just never planned facing the man who broke her heart years ago.   

Daniel Gleason loved Jodi Chapman until the day she betrayed him and walked away.  Now she’s back and determined to talk his friends and neighbors into selling their land, which would ruin his plans for a farmer’s co-op.  Prepared to do whatever it takes to get his way, Daniel never expected their attraction to get in the way.

The scenes between Jodi and Daniel are full of lively dialogue and plenty of emotional angst.  While attracted to each other, their miscommunication from the past and their current situation makes trust difficult.  Ms. Rock does an excellent job developing both Jodi and Dan’s characters both individually and when they are together.  She also addresses the realities of having a special needs child and the burden it places on marriages and relationships.  As the aunt of an Autistic child, I can honestly say Ms. Rock’s knowledge of the financial, emotional and even societal burdens facing families with Autistic children is spot on.

The secondary characters, mostly Jodi and Daniel’s family and friends are also well developed and contribute emotional support.  There is also a villain of sorts; Jodi’s despicable ex who seemed to exist just to make Jodi’s life worse and who I personally wanted to introduce to my cast iron skillet (I really feel a good whack on the head would have done the man wonders…lol).

Will Jodi and Daniel realize their love can heal them both?  Will Jodi’s son get the help he really needs? You’ll have to read His Hometown Girl to find out, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Rock’s work.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 Crowns     

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.   

RELEASE DAY SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: THE CHASE by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CHASE!

THE CHASE by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Bantam – Random House

On sale: February 25, 2014

978-0-345-54308-0

THE CHASE at your favorite retailers

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling authors of The Heist, return in this action-packed, exciting adventure featuring master con artist Nicolas Fox and die-hard FBI agent Kate O’Hare. And this time around, things go from hot to nuclear when government secrets are on the line.

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

WATCH THE CHASE COMMERCIAL

ABOUT JANET EVANOVICH

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

Connect with Janet

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Google + |  Fancorps

ABOUT LEE GOLDBERG

Lee Goldberg is a screenwriter, TV producer, and the author of several books, including King City, The Walk, and the bestselling Monk series of mysteries. He has earned two Edgar Award nominations and was the 2012 recipient of the Poirot Award from Malice Domestic.

Connect with Lee

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  | Google +

ENTER THE CHASE GIVEAWAY!

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Book Blast & Giveaway for Bob at the Lake by R. Murphy

Join author R. Murphy on her Book Blast for Bob at the Lake, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, on February 25, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for the author to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway for a $25 Amazon GC by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 

 Bob at the Lake

By R. Murphy

Publisher:  Soul Mate Publishing

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Genre: Paranormal/Ghosts

Length: 200 Pages

ASIN: B00F3O9G4Y

Add to Goodreads

About this book:

Take a crabby woman of a certain age, move her to the wintry shores of a New York lake, and then throw in a martini-loving ghost from 1920s Manhattan. Last, stir in the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill. Now there’s a recipe for a potent screwball cocktail!

Buy Link:  Amazon

Excerpt

“At this point, it might be appropriate to interject a few words about me, your narrator. Decades ago, people used to have a phrase for me: a woman of a certain age. Back then, everyone knew what that phrase meant: ‘Young enough to want to (fill in the name of your favorite venial sin here); old enough to know better.’ The phrase implies a certain amount of polish, a certain amount of experience. A woman who’s been knocked down by life, still has the energy to get off the floor, and has learned lessons from her fall. Back then, women of a certain age were hard-bitten newspaperwomen, or glamorous, mysterious divorce co-respondents in courtroom dramas, who wore elegant hats with veils down to their chins. I associate them with words like peplum, and negligee, and I know they were all blondes who wore daring designer suits and genuine silk stockings.

I wish I could afford to wear daring designer suits. Instead my everyday clothes typically involve some form of denim. And, although my short, wavy brunette hair usually has some highlights of blond, the quantity of highlights tends to vary proportionally to my bank balance. The more money I have, the blonder I get.

I don’t know how to assign a specific age to a woman of a certain age in the twenty-first century. It’s especially confusing these days, when forty is the new twenty and fifty is the new thirty. I think it’s mostly a matter of mind and experience.

Anyway, back to our story…

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Roz Murphy is the pseudonym of a shy, retiring writer who doesn’t want her neighbors to know how nutty she really is. Brooklyn-born and Jersey-bred, Roz now lives on the misty shore of one of New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes. Prior to that, her business writing career took her to many locations, including Manhattan, where she worked for a number of years. As a freelance and corporate writer, Roz won several national and international writing and communications awards.

Now Roz is pursuing her first love—fiction. She’s writing the ‘Bob’ books, the humorous chronicle of a crabby ‘woman of a certain age’ who moves to the wintry shores of a New York lake—and gets a ghost. And not just any ghost, mind you. Bob’s a plump, middle-aged ghost from 1920s Manhattan who swans around in a silk smoking jacket and drinks far too many martinis. Stir the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill into this mix and you get a pretty potent screwball cocktail!

When she’s not reading, writing, hill-walking, staring mindlessly out the window at the lake or piling rocks onto her ever-diminishing lakefront, you can usually find Roz hanging out with her family, travelling, or exploring the amazing wines and wineries of the Finger Lakes.

‘Bob at the Lake’ is exclusively available as a Kindle download from Amazon. Please join Roz Murphy Author on FaceBook for updates on the many adventures of Roz, David—and Bob.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roz-Murphy-Author/213668102110571

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Promo Blitz & Giveaway for Undertow by K.R. Conway

Undertow - PROMO Blitz

By K.R. Conway

Upper YA / NA Urban Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 10/13/2013

Seventeen-year-old Eila Walker’s new home has defied the brutal Atlantic for over 160 years. Abandoned since her 4th great grandmother Elizabeth vanished, the town legend declares that she drowned . . . or was struck by lightning.

Unbeknownst to the town and Eila, however, is that someone does know what really happened to Elizabeth, and he has returned, determined to protect the last surviving Walker from a history of violence.

But what starts out as a quest for redemption, evolves into something more and soon young guardian, Raef, is forced to reveal the truth to Eila. As hidden secrets about their warring families come to light, Eila begins to realize that she may be their best shot at survival, even if it means following in her grandmother’s fearless footsteps to save her killer bodyguard.

EXCERPT

We walked for a couple of minutes, and the pounding music faded to mere background tunes, gently complementing the fires that glowed softer with distance. We found a spot by the dunes near a large home that faced the water. The stretch of beach was probably private, considering the row of huge houses that sat among the tall grass, but I figured the owners would not care as long as we left Fergie and her musical crew farther down the beach.

Raef shook out the blanket and I helped smooth it wide, then sat down and slowly zipped off my boots so I could stick my toes in the cold sand. Raef sat down next to me and looked up at the stars.

He was right.

Away from the blaze of the fires, the stars were all the more brilliant.  The massive moon continued to climb higher, causing the luminous pathway on the water to slowly stretch toward the horizon.  I just smiled at the good fortune that granted me a chance to live here.

I glanced over at Raef and caught him looking at me. “Yes?” I asked, an odd combination of unease and desire flashing through my veins.

“I was just wondering what you were thinking about.”

“I was thinking how amazing this view is, and how unbelievable it is that I get to enjoy it because I live here,” I said, my nerves slowly calming. “It’s just incredible. I’m waiting to wake from this dream.”

I looked back at the stars and then leaned back onto the blanket so I could enjoy the broad view of space,  “Perhaps I’m not really here. Maybe I’m in a coma somewhere and this is just my brain misfiring. I think that is more plausible, especially the way my luck normally runs.”

He leaned down next to me, propping himself on one elbow as he looked at me. “You are not in a coma.”

“Oh yeah? How do you know? Maybe you’re in a coma too. Maybe we had some tragic accident and now we’re both carrots in a hospital bed somewhere.” 

He reached over to my arm and pinched me. I let out a yelp. “What the heck?”

“See? Not vegetables,” he said with a smile, then looked a bit more serious. “This is real. This is your life now.”

I looked at him, debating how to phrase what I was about to say, fearing his answer as well. “And your life? Is this your life as well, or is this temporary?”

He rolled over on his back to study the sky with me, “I think this is my life now as well. Kian and I are not planning on leaving anytime soon.”

I nearly sighed audibly in relief, but managed to control myself. We lay there, staring at the stars and watching the moonrise. Finally he spoke up, “You know, as a true native, you should know your constellations.”

I didn’t follow. “Why is that?”

“Well, Cape Cod is an ocean-going community. Your own grandparents were a big part of that as well. And, as such, knowing how to navigate by the heavens is part of being a native.”

“And I take it, as a brilliant boat-dweller, you know such things?”

“Heck yeah. Care to learn?”

“Go for it, but be forewarned – I am a slow study.”

“Then I guess it is a good thing we don’t have school tomorrow,” he laughed. 

For the next hour, Raef explained the stars and the pictures they made in the sky. He told me about the stories of the gods they represented, and how to find your way based on the characters that rose in the universe nightly. I was pleased when I was able to find Sirius with his help.

“I am a true Cape Codder,” I said proudly, thanks to my limited, but accurate constellation identification. He was silent for a moment as he lay next to me and I turned to him.

He looked at me, eye to eye for a moment, then slowly sat up. “A true Cape Codder needs a badge of belonging,” he said as he looked back at me lying on the faded blanket. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a little velvet bag.

Intrigued, I sat up next to him and pulled my chilled feet under me. He reached out and took my hand, unfurling my fingers as he placed the soft bag in my palm.

“What’s this?” I asked, my heart pounding.

“A gift that says you belong to this area,” said Raef, watching me.

I swallowed and slowly untied the black string, tipping the bag upside down into my other hand. A beautiful silver bangle bracelet with a glistening ball in the center slid out into my hand. The ball had a thousand little facets cut into it, making it pulse with moonlight.

“It’s . . . beautiful,” I said, breathless and stunned.

He picked it up and untwisted the ball, causing the bracelet to spring open slightly. He took my other arm and slid the bracelet onto my wrist, then tightened the ball down again to link the hoop together. He turned it slightly so the ball faced the moon, twinkling.

“This is made here. Most locals have one and it’s distinctive to Cape Cod. I wanted you to have one, so that whenever you felt like you didn’t belong, you could look at it and remember that someone says differently.”

I sat there, turning my wrist slightly, watching it shine like the moonlit path on the water. I looked up at Raef, who was watching me with a serious look on his face that I found unsettling and impossible to read.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to understand what this gift from him meant. Was it just a gift of friendship, or something more?

I was about to ask where I stood with him, when the jovial voice of Jesse broke our silence.

“Well HELLO. What are you two doing way out here. In the dark. ALL ALONE,” asked Jesse, a huge smile on his face, directed at me. I may just murder him if he embarrassed me. All I could think of was the way he had watched me check out Raef our first day of school.

Raef got to his feet. He reached down and took my hand, pulling me to mine. “Ana has the music a bit too deafening for my taste,” said Raef with a brief smile.

“Plus we wanted to see the stars better,” I blurted out. Jesse gave me a look that screamed he didn’t believe I had been stargazing. As if to prove I wasn’t lying, I pointed skyward without looking up. “Cepheus. Right above us.”

“Sure,” said Jesse, the smile still on his face. He turned to Raef, “Since you’re out here, can you help me grab a few cases of beer from my house?”

Raef looked at me, as if seeking permission, and Jesse’s smile got even more irritatingly huge. “Go ahead. I’ll just hang out here and wait for you,” I said, sliding Jesse a look of death.

“You sure?” asked Raef.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding toward the house. Raef’s fingertips gently touched mine, but so surreptitiously that Jesse didn’t see. The sensation, so simple, gave me a rush of heat.

K.R. Conway

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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This Blitz is brought to to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

Blog Tour & Giveaway for A Burning Truth by Joyce Proell

Welcome to my stop on author Joyce Proell’s Blog Tour for A Burning Truth, presented by Book Promotions by Literary Nook, from February 17 – March 7, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for Joyce to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  My review for A Deadly Truth, the first book in the Cady Delafield series will post this morning.  My review for A Burning Truth will follow shortly.  You can follow the rest of the tour here. 

Signs You Might Be a Writer by Joyce Proell

Hi! I’m so excited to be celebrating the release of A Burning Truth, the second book in the ‘Truth’ series with you. The story begins only weeks after A Deadly Truth ends. Like the fly on the wall, we get to gleefully watch as things heat up between Cady and Doyle. Can Cady overcome her doubts and regain her confidence? Will they ever make it to the altar? Hmmm, guess you’ll have to read it and find out.

But first…a little about me…

I didn’t start writing until I was forty-six. It took my husband’s suggestion to pen a book to get me going. Writing was something I’d never considered. Yet, as I reflect on my life, certain quirky indicators were present. Many writers possess these quirks. Maybe you do too. Since people frequently ask me how I knew I wanted to write, I made a list of these quirks. Perhaps you can identify with some of the signs.

1. After watching an episode of your favorite TV series, you re-write a new ending in your head.
2. In a long queue at the airport or at a major sporting event you spot an interesting stranger in the crowd that stirs a plethora of questions. You then invent answers to those questions developing a complete character profile including, but not limited to background, love interests, personality traits, occupation, hobbies, and whatever else your imagination creates. 
3. While alone in your car or walking a long stretch of road listening to music a vivid setting emerges. In your mind, you’re there, in an airplane, on stage, on the dance floor, in the boardroom or seated on a park bench with a stranger. A conversation begins and suddenly, you’re in a scene.
4. You fall in love with the sound of a word and it rolls around in your head for a day or two. Mentally, you add it to your ‘favorite word’ list.
5. Similes and metaphors pop up frequently in your conversation.
6. You reflect back on college and realize the best class ever was Creative Writing.
7. You’re introduced to a stranger and you learn she’s a script writer for a popular television soap opera. You croon with envy and really mean it when you say, “I want to do that!”
8. You keep a journal, but the journal isn’t so much about you. Your journal will have little scenes you’ve concocted; memorable lines copied from favorite books, snippets of original poetry, and a list of unique names you hope to use in a story someday.  

 If you recognize any of these signs, know you aren’t crazy. Instead, you have a writer lurking inside. Now all you have to do is sit down and start to write.

Thanks for joining in me in the release celebration A Burning Truth.

Happy reading. 

Joyce

A Burning Truth

By Joyce Proell

Cady Delafield, Book 2

Publisher: Champagne Books

Release Date: February 1, 2014

Genre: Historical Romance/Mystery

Length: 269 Pages

ISBN:  978-1-771550-51-2

ASIN:  B00I7E42BY

Buy Links: Amazon │B& N │ARe│Kobo │ Smashwords 

About the book: 

There’s no shortage of deadly deeds in 1881 Chicago as school administrator Cady Delafield and entrepreneur Doyle Flanagan plan their wedding. When one of Doyle’s workers is brutally killed he must use his considerable power to stop a mysterious enemy bent on destroying his reputation and business empire. But as Cady and Doyle struggle to keep their marriage on track, the murder victims might not be the only casualties.

~Excerpt~

April, 1881

 “Why, it’s outrageous!” Cady Delafield said with a laugh.

In the soft glow of the carriage lantern, she glittered in the familiar way which delighted Doyle to his very core. He’d missed seeing her bright smiles and playful attitude absent these past few weeks.

“It’s almost midnight,” she added and crimped her mouth in mock disapproval, but failed to mask her teasing. “Surely, Mr. Flanagan, you aren’t serious about traipsing about in a lumber yard near the docks at this time of night?”

“It’ll only take a minute.” Happiness strummed through his body with each hopeful sign of her recovery from the recent tragic events. She was plucky, determined and stubborn. But the death of three women and seeing a man blow his head off left a person altered. He knew this for a fact. He’d watched the man pull the trigger too.

“Besides.” He dropped a hand over his chest affecting a bit of melodrama. “Aren’t you the least bit curious to see where the master potentate, the supreme leader, the Great Poohbah—”

“Oh, please.” She thrust up a palm forestalling any more joking. “Great Poohbah, indeed!”

He chuckled and angled his long legs on the carriage seat so his knee leaned against hers. It struck him as unbelievable he’d known her only five weeks. Time enough to fall in love and fall he did with both feet crashing through the floor. His familiarity and ease with her made it seem as if they’d been the best of friends since childhood. Soon, when he believed the horrific events were behind them, when she no longer complained of nightmares or jarring flashbacks, when the world was again solid beneath her feet, he’d propose marriage. The notion made him smile.

BIO and CONTACT LINKS

Joyce grew up in Minnesota and attended college and grad school in Chicago. After working in mental health, she retired at a young age to write full-time. Her first book, Eliza, was published in 2012.  A Burning Truth is the second in the Cady Delafield series. When she isn’t writing mysteries or historical romances, she loves to travel, walk, read, and do crossword puzzles. She and her husband make their home in rural Minnesota in her very own little house on the prairie.

Visit her website at www.joyceproell.com or at https://www.facebook.com/JoyceProellAuthor

Publisher page: http://www.champagnebooks.com/joyceproell.htm

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Promo Blitz & Giveaway for Scarlet Revenge by Ann McGinnis

Welcome to my stop on author Ann McGinnis’ Promo Blitz for Scarlet Revenge, presented by Reading Addiction Book Tours, on February 24, 2014.  Please leave a comment or question for Ann to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

Scarlet Revenge

By Ann McGinnis

Scarlet Suspense Series, Book 1

Publisher: Short on Time Books

Release Date: January 20, 2014

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 191 Pages

ISBN: 978-1-495294-92-1

ASIN: B00HZCGAX2

Buy Links:  Amazon │ Barnes & Noble

About the book:

The FBI doesn’t know what to do with Analyst Caycee Scarlet. She’s brash, brilliant & brutally relentless when tracking a serial killer. But she also has a temper, problems with authority figures and recognizing the chain of command. 

Things go sideways for Caycee when she uncovers a lead that saves the Omega Killer’s latest victim. Rather than working the system and making nice with her pompous boss, sparks fly and she gets into an altercation with the lead Special Agent on the case, resulting in a transfer to another assignment. 

Caycee finds herself transferred to an FBI interrogation facility where she assesses the most dangerous of criminals in custody. She struggles to get over the loss of her dream job, but her new boss, handsome Special Agent Gil Graham, may soften the blow. Sparks, of a different variety, fly between the Special Agent and his new Analyst, as they work together to crack the most difficult cases. 

Just when Caycee’s wounds are healing from her expulsion on the Omega Killer team, she is dragged back into the thick of it. Caycee and her new team are front and center, focused on an interview of a bombing suspect, when Omega comes looking for revenge. His attack wounds her team, leaving Caycee with only one option for help—the devastatingly handsome bombing suspect. It will take all of Caycee’s wits, and a kiss for luck, to stop Omega and save her co-workers.

EXCERPT

Chapter One

Our steps echoed down the stark hallway. Clean. Institutional. And utterly amazing. Caycee Scarlet was finally walking along the hallowed hallways of the FBI. It was a good day for me.

"Say nothing, Scarlet," Special Agent in Charge Tony Wilkes ordered. He threw me a look over his shoulder. "Even if someone asks you a question, keep your mouth shut." He laughed to himself. "No one will ask you a question.”

Wilkes had already made it clear that I was the newest member of the Omega Killer Task Force. As such, I should listen more than talk, act fast when given orders, and let the seasoned team members guide my every move. It seemed like the equivalent of an FBI-whipping boy. Or girl, in my case. I didn’t care. Everyone started at the bottom. I was ready to put in the time needed to earn their respect.

At least, I looked good in a form-fitting black suit. It was more than I could afford, but I figured I would live in the outfit. Besides, it sent a message. I valued my appearance, even if I had to dress like a man, I'd still look like a woman.

I'd had the suit cut to fit my curves, which were on the athletic side. My auburn hair pulled into a no-nonsense ponytail. It hung past my shoulders, showing off my best feature – my eyes. As a window into my soul, they were unflinching. I did admire my own intelligence, probably a character flaw, but hopefully that wouldn’t show in my eyes. The traits I wanted to show: no nonsense, quick witted, relentless.

"You get the crap jobs," Wilkes said, acting as if his honesty was attractive. A few hours in the gym and hair implants, maybe. Not that I didn’t find bald men attractive, just not this one. "I can't lie," he continued, "we'll be throwing you every crap job that this case delivers, but you're on a big case. That don't happen to many newbies."

I wasn't that new, but I guessed he didn’t count the eight months of testing and background checks. I did. Or my training at Quantico. It all counted to me.

The agency gave us two years to prove ourselves. After that, candidates either earned their spot or were let go. I couldn't imagine putting in all that time and failing.

I had a feeling success would require long hours and serious ass-kissing. I just needed to find someone with a cute ass. It sure wasn't Wilkes.

We passed three large rooms filled with personnel. One looked to be the size of a football field filled with cubicles. “You’ll be in here,” Wilkes waved, “but first I want you to see the Dugout.”

He led me to a large conference room, its walls filled with crime photos, running news feeds and a huge whiteboard for pertinent case data. “The Omega Killer is priority number one,” Wilkes said, opening the conference room door for me. “This is where the main players are at bat.”

I slowed at the door, sensing a real sports theme to the way he liked to operate. Perhaps one day, I’d be his most valuable player. It looked competitive, though. Wilkes’s team already consisted of veteran agents and analysts. They seemed a cohesive group, working in unison to stop a psychotic killer.

Wilkes quickly ran through Omega’s deadly stats, but he didn’t need to bother. I knew the case inside and out. Killers were my hobby.

I made the mistake of saying that to a date once. I never saw a man escape faster, admonishing me by exclaiming: “You’re sick, truly sick.” Hopefully, my academic interest in killers wouldn’t repel men in the FBI.

Not that I was here to find a man, but I was twenty-eight and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere in this organization was my perfect match. After all, I needed a man who liked to catch killers.

“Are you listening to me?” Wilkes sounded irritated.

“Yes, sir,” I answered. “The Omega Killer marks his victims’ forehead with the sign of the Omega. All indications are that it signals the moment he’s ready to make the fatal cut, into his victim’s left breast. Such a wound, based on other serial killers, suggests Omega has mommy issues, but I personally believe that it signals a desire to find love.”

Wilkes made a face at me. Clearly he did not care for my analysis. “That’s not what I was talking about. Geez, he wants to find love? Table that thought, quickly, and get back in the game.”

He raised his arms, showing off the Dugout. "Welcome to the nerve center of our investigation. We call this the show," he said, then clapped his hands together to get the room’s attention. "Everyone, this is Intelligence Analyst Caycee Scarlet."

The agents, analysts and techs turned from their work. Some at laptops along one side of a long mahogany conference table and others working on reports across from them. Several agents were standing, talking in a small group. They barely looked over at me, too busy for someone below them on the FBI food chain. The analysts nodded an acknowledgement. Matter-of-fact. No smiles. No words of welcome.

I gave a half-hearted nod to the room, hoping I'd make a better impression later. Probably much later, if I was reading the total lack of interest correctly. It must be the pressure of catching Omega. Tension hung in the room. With twelve victims to date, catching the killer had them all wound up.

Wilkes pointed to a side table stacked with boxes. The top one filled with old cell phones, victim personal effects and police reports. "We need them properly catalogued. You know, a searchable database. I’m told you were the most anal student in your class. Go at it."

His voice trailed off, but I didn't know if he'd stopped talking or I'd stopped listening. Maybe a little of both, because I read the whiteboard. One of the hand-scribbled numbers was written incorrectly.

Without thinking, I went over to the board and used the heel of my right hand to wipe off an area code. Everyone in the room stopped working and screamed at me.

"What have you done?" Wilkes shouted louder than anyone else.

I came out of my trance and blinked at him. Whatever I said next could make or break me, so I said nothing.

"Every piece of information is vital to solving the case," he scolded. He turned to the room. "Can we fix it? What was that number?"

Blank stares.

I quickly picked up a dry erase marker and wrote the numbers back on the board. It was only three digits.

Screams went up all around me again.

"What?" I asked. "That's the number I erased. But it's wrong. It's a phone number, right? Someone transposed the area code. 3-7-1 is not an area code, but 7-3-1 is New Jersey."

No one screamed at me that time, but their looks were deadly.

"Is that right?" Wilkes asked the room. His eyes darted from the whiteboard to the closest agent. He wanted confirmation before his head exploded.

"Shit," the agent said.

Wilkes grabbed his head.

The agent couldn't look at me. "She's right, sir.”

“Okay, we’re okay, fix it and double-check everything that goes on the board, people,” Wilkes barked.

The agent took the dry erase marker from me and fixed the numbers. Wilkes waved two fingers at a petite woman with raven hair twisted into a bun. “Take care of this.” He pointed at me.

FBI Analyst Nina Dunbar instantly responded. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a stack of boxes, indicating with her elbow that I was to take the rest. “Follow me,” she sighed. “Consider this your first and last favor.”

I shot a glance at Wilkes, but he already had his nose in a file folder, barking orders to the closest agent. He had no time for me. No one did. I exited the conference room, utterly deflated by my welcome to the FBI.

About Ann McGinnis

Ann McGinnis started writing romantic suspense to combine two things— thrillers & foreplay! Connect with Ann and upcoming news about the Scarlet Suspense Series:

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