Author: Kelly

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Interview & giveaway with Melissa Kendall



Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I am a 36 year-old mother of a 3-year-old son. I live in Perth Western Australia. I am predominantly a stay at home mum, though I do still work a few hours a week as a Software Support Consultant to keep my brain active.

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author?
Sort of, I have always written, when I was younger, though, it was more lyrics and poetry. I didn’t discover a love for longer forms of writing until I had my son. 

Q3)  Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
I actually don’t write much during the day. Most of my writing is done at night after my son is in bed and I usually do my best work between midnight and 2am.

Q4)  Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most rewarding part for me is when I get a review and they totally loved my work that makes it all worthwhile as far as I’m concerned. The most challenging part for me is not getting distracted social media can be a real distraction for me.

Q5)  Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My latest book is a Novella called ‘Fall In Love’. Michael Dunbar runs his families cattle station in the far north of Western Australia. Station life is lonely and he wishes there was a way that he could find a companion that wouldn’t mind living the outback life with him. In hopes of finding a woman, Michael heads to Broome for a few weeks holiday. What he finds is something he never expected to. Mia Mason a Perth girl, who longs to leave the city behind for a life in the country. Can two like minds fall in love, only destiny knows?
This is quite a personal piece because it is set in my home state.

Q6)  How did you come with the idea for this story?
This is kind of an odd/funny story. Here in Australia we have a reality TV show called ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ I was watching one night and suddenly my mind was like wonder what a farmer would have to go through if he couldn’t find a wife and he didn’t have a TV show to help him. Next thing I knew I had written 7000 words in about 3 hours.
 
Q7)  Can you share with us your current work in progress?
I am currently working on a novel for Ruby Lioness Press’s Clearwater Series it is called ‘On The Run.’

Q8)  Who are some of your favorite authors?
Oooo this is hard, ummm… I would say Laura Kaye, Cynthia Eden, Damon Suede and JP Barnaby.

Q9)  Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
I don’t think so. I write such a varied content that I don’t feel I am more inspired by any one writer.
 
Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Oh, this is easy. I am desperately waiting for the July release of Laura Kaye’s West of Want.

Q11)  Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just thank you to every person who reads my works and I hope you enjoy them.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MKendallAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5752458.Melissa_Kendall
Blog: http://mkendallauthor.blogspot.com.au
I have one e-copy of Fall in Love… To enter for a chance to win please fill out the Rafflecopter below.


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Interview with Tammy Maas

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Tammy Maas on the blog today.  We are chatting about life, Cheez-it’s and her debut novella ‘A Complicated Life in a Small Town’


Q1)  Can you please share with us a little about yourself? 
Sure! I am a new author, a happy wife, the mother of two beautiful children, a blogger and a domestic Goddess.

Q2)  Have you always wanted to be an author? 
I feel in love with writing in the 3rdgrade and have dreamed of becoming an author ever since.

Q3)  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?Stephen King is my favorite writer and from him I have learned that there is a story hiding in nearly every conversation or situation that occurs. Topics to write on are endless.

Q4) How did you get into writing in this specific genre?  Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
I didn’t choose the genres for my book prior to writing it; they just evolved as the story did. I would write in any genre if I had the right storyline for it.

Q5)  What are some of your writing rituals? 
I sit in a recliner with my feet up in the air and my laptop on my lap, Animal Planet on TV and a cup of coffee at my side. Sometimes I eat Cheez-it’s for a snack.

Q6)  Can you please tell us about your latest book?
My debut Novella is titled A Complicated Life in a Small Town, it was released on 2/27. 
The story is about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Bitter that she was robbed of her childhood, at age eighteen, Lydia Lawson severed all communication ties with her alcoholic parents. Her father commits suicide one year after she leaves home. Twenty-three years later she receives word that her mother is dead and that she has inherited more than just the family home. Lily, a twenty-one-year-old, morbidly obese half-sister with Prader-Willi Syndrome, is found in the basement, too big to move out of the home. Lydia sets out on a life-changing journey trying to help Lily, trying to find Lily s father and trying to find herself. In the interim, she falls in love with Tommy Porter who remains with her right up to the climatic, mind-blowing reveal at the end.

Q7) How did you come with the idea for this story?
I was shopping for a disease online and I came across Prader-Willi Syndrome. I was so fascinated by it that I decided to use it in my story.

Q8)  Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress? 
I am currently working on the sequel to A Complicated Life in a Small Town. The debut novella had a powerful ending that left readers wanting more. I didn’t plan on doing a sequel but I am writing one to satisfy my new fans.

Q9) What would you be if you were not an author?
I have been a lot of things in my life: fast-food worker, concession stand worker, supervisor, manager, coordinator, security guard, caregiver, newspaper reporter, photographer and the list goes on and on. If I couldn’t be an author I would continue to try new jobs but I really love being an author and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Q10)  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for? Amber Hartman’s book Slave to a Vampire

Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add? 
Yes! For any unpublished writers I would like to encourage you to never give up. My situation is not common: at 10pm on a Saturday night I sent my manuscript to eight publishers. Within 30 minutes I had a reply and within 10 days I had a contract. Never give up, not all situations are the same. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

Want to learn more about Tammy?  You can find her here:  
Blog Site: http://animaasity.weebly.com
Facebook: Tammy Maas
Twitter: @Animaasity
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tammy+maas&sprefix=Tammy+Maa%2Cstripbooks%2C216
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Guest blogger: Morgan Hannah MacDonald

Bio: Morgan Hannah MacDonald writes Romantic Thrillers that are NOT for the faint of heart. She has always been interested in writing and serial killers, but it wasn’t until she found she had dated one herself that a true writer was born. She belongs to Romance Writers of America, the San Diego Chapter, as well as the Kiss of Death Chapter. She resides in San Diego, California where she is busy working on her next novel.  She can be found at www.morganhannahmacdonald.com. Or you may contact her at morganwrites@yahoo.com
Website / Facebook


I’ve been asked where the inspiration for SANDMAN came from. Well, truth is stranger than fiction.   It was November 3, 1998.  I had gone away for the weekend to the mountains with a couple of friends from work.  There had been rumors of snow, so we put the TV on immediately to track the storm.  The minute the news came on, there was a story of a trucker who had walked into the police station, slapped a plastic bag on the counter and stated; I think you’re looking for me.  The bag contained the severed breast of a woman.
As the weekend wore on, more information became available.  They stated that the man had frequented a Karaoke bar in San Clemente. That perked up my ears.  Five years prior, I had dated a guy who ran that Karaoke bar.  I might have met this guy! Chilling.
After I got home, there was a message from my best friend.  She asked if I had seen the story on the news and wasn’t that the guy I’d dated? I laughed.  I’d never dated a Wayne.  I would have remembered, that was my grandfather’s name.  Then she told me his full name was Wayne Adam Ford, it hit me.  I did date a guy named Adam, but he didn’t look anything like the guy on the news.
The Adam I knew was sexy, tall, fit and had a neatly trimmed beard that brought out his gorgeous deep green eyes.  It had been the winter of 1993 and he wore flannel shirts with straight legged 501 jeans.  I love that lumberjack look! *giggle*  The guy on the news was heavier and balding.  Of course, I hadn’t seen him in five years and people do change.  But I still wasn’t convinced.  My friend said that Inside Edition was doing a story on him that night.  
So at seven o’clock I sat on my couch and waited.  They started the segment with the exact same clip the news had showed all weekend.  It was a slow motion shot of him entering a court room in an orange jumpsuit.  But this time, when he turned to face the camera, I recognized those eyes.  I burst into tears.  It was him, it was the man I’d dated!  My body trembled, then turned numb as I listened to the frightening tale.  He was discharged from the marines for psychological reasons in the early eighties.  In 1985 he was arrested for the rape and beating of a prostitute, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.  That’s when it occurred to me, he was already on the brink of insanity when I’d known him!
In 1994 he’d met a young girl at that same karaoke bar.  They’d married and had a child.  After the birth, he started to unravel.  He’d become possessive, jealous and asked her to do strange things in the bedroom.  She divorced him and took the child to live with her mother. He was refused visitation rights.
That was the catalyst that started his murderous rampage.  He started picking up prostitutes and hitch hikers at truck stops along his route.  He raped and tortured the girls before he killed them, then sliced off a breast as a souvenir. 
The camera panned to a trailer surrounded by woods alongside a river. The picture would have been beautiful and serene if not for all the cops parading in and out carrying evidence. They announced his freezer was full of body parts. It seems that one of his victims had her legs, arms and head amputated by an ax. Her torso was found bobbing in the water by a fisherman. They were still searching the Madd River for her head. 
In a moment of hysteria, I remembered how overly dramatic the guy had been.  If not for the fact that they’d found all that evidence linking him to those grisly crimes, I would have thought he’d confessed just to get attention. Maybe he did.  The authorities didn’t know they had a serial killer. He wasn’t even a blip on their radar. So the only way he could get his fifteen minutes of fame was to turn himself in.  But the joke’s on him, fifteen minutes is all he got.  After all, have you ever heard of Wayne Adam Ford?  It is said that there are approximately 50 serial killers active in the United Statesat any given time.  So if in his sick twisted mind he thought he would be another Ted Bundy, or John Wayne Gacy, he was sorely mistaken.   
The final twist to this already disturbing story is that I met Wayne Adam Ford on my birthday November 3, 1993and he turned himself in on November 3 1998.  After this revelation, I didn’t trust my instincts regarding men.  I didn’t go on another date for over ten years. I’m still single to this day. I guess you could say that this has really messed with my mind!
Now I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true.  I never had a clue.  The guy I dated was charming, handsome and had lots of friends.  We dated only a short time.  I questioned his relationship with his ex-girlfriend who was cooking him meals and leaving them in his freezer.  He broke up with me because he said I had a suspicious mind.  Funny, but I ran into him some months later and we went out to grab a bite to eat.  That’s when he confessed he had to stop seeing her because he was still in love with her.
Now, when you read SANDMAN, you will find bits and pieces of these things in the story.  I borrowed some facts from his case and mixed them up between the suspects so no one would be able to guess the killer’s true identity. 


Beware the SANDMAN he’ll put you to sleep. . .forever.
A serial killer on the loose, a woman being stalked, and a homicide detective who must find the connection before it’s too late.
He collects women. He imprisons them, plays with them, tortures them. Until they bore him.  Then he removes a souvenir. They call him the Sandman.
Meagan McInnis is being plagued with late night calls, yet when she answers, no one is there. Then one night she makes a grisly discovery in her own backyard.
The caller is silent no more.
Homicide Detective, J.J. Thomas, realizes Meagan is the key to finding the Sandman. Now not only must he protect her, but he must find the connection between Meagan and the killer before she becomes his next victim.

Excerpt:
Sean climbed out of the water with his surfboard under his arm. He dragged his hand down his face to brush the salt water away from his eyes. His breathing was labored; he’d gotten in a good workout today. He walked up the beach a good distance before he detected a strange odor. As he neared his destination, the stench invading his nostrils became more pungent.
I hope there wasn’t another damn sewage spill. 
Soon he heard a strange buzzing sound. He stopped, brows furrowed, and concentrated on zeroing in on the exact location of the noise. Failing at this, he shrugged, and then continued up the strand. But with each step his uncertainty grew. The irritating cacophony had increased in volume.
Within seconds Sean found himself about fifty feet from where he’d left his gear. Before him lay a blanket of black that appeared to be moving. “What the hell?” He hesitated, waiting for the synapses in his brain to start firing, before taking another step.  
When he found no logical explanation, he gently rested his board on the sand and made his way closer until he stood directly in front of the sight. His hand cupped his nose. The stench reminded him of hard-boiled eggs gone bad. Very, very bad.
Okay, strike the moving blanket crack. It was more like a black cloud hovering over his belongings. Flies. He had an inkling that it was not the seaweed they found interesting.  Something dead had washed up on shore and he was less than eager to find out what it was. A seagull? A fish? A seal? Whatever it was, it would not be pretty no matter how long it had been dead.
Slowly, he reached down to pick up his sweater with one hand, while the other reached for the strap on his backpack. The flies swarmed up for a brief moment, just long enough to reveal their prey, before settling back down into a dark writhing carpet.  
An unintelligible sound escaped Sean’s lips. He gasped for air while instinctively taking a step back. He’d seen some hairy things in his life, but nothing even close to this. Icy fingers of fear raced up his spine; his heartbeat hammered in his chest. 
Sean couldn’t look away even if he had wanted to. Some strange fascination took hold of his brain and wouldn’t let go. Systematically, his mind dissected the grisly scene before him.
Sticking out of the rolling mound of seaweed was a woman’s arm. It was stiff as a mannequin’s, extending skyward as if reaching to him for help. The mottled blue hand wore long red fingernails, two of which had been broken down to the quick. Seaweed was wrapped around her arm like a feather boa. 
Sean’s gaze then locked onto another object protruding from the sandy grave: a leg that seemed to be severed mid-thigh, but closer inspection revealed that it was really half-buried. It too appeared tangled in the bubbly brown vegetation. 
The foot, like the hand, wore a shock of bright red polish on its perfectly manicured toes, clashing with the bluish pallor of the flesh. His eyes grew wide at the sight of flies and sand crabs greedily devouring the soft tissue. He choked back bile.
The spell was broken.
Sean stepped backward so fast he tripped over his own feet and landed on his butt. He scrambled up and raced toward the shore. He couldn’t get away fast enough. He reached the water’s edge before collapsing to his hands and knees.  His insides lurched so hard that he thought he would spew his stomach lining. Dry heaves continued long after his stomach had emptied. He collapsed on the sand, exhausted. A wave washed over him, but he hardly noticed.
To enter for a chance to win an e-copy of Sandman please fill out the Rafflecopter form below… 

Continue reading “Guest blogger: Morgan Hannah MacDonald”

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Kelly’s (arc) review of Rough Ride by Keri Ford

Rough Ride
Roughnecks #1
AUTHOR: Keri Ford
PUBLICATION DATE:   05/06/12

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
You do for family, no matter what. Lane Iverson knows that better than anyone. Harboring a secret about his mother’s death, Lane is counting the days until he finishes helping his brothers with some work and can head back to his hiding hole hours away. As long as he doesn’t have to face his three brothers every day, the guilt is easier to carry.

There is only one thing that can risk his plan. All of five foot tall, with these deep eyes and a voice that shudders through him. The completely addicting, Gretchen Jones. She’s been watching him the entire time he’s been in town. With courage from her friends behind her, she confronts what she wants. To her surprise, that’s the easy part. Keeping her heart protected when she knows he’ll be leaving? Not so easy, but her only choice.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly             
4 ½  Stars

REVIEW:
Rough Ride is book 1 in Keri Ford’s new series The Roughnecks and takes us back to the quiet little town of Apple Trail.   The Roughneck series is a spin off of Keri’s Apple Trail series which I LOVED!!!  If you haven’t read the Apple Trail series find more about it here http://keriford.com/books/uninhibited-in-apple-trail-arkansas/.  Okay back to Lane…

Lane is one tough cookie.  He loves his brothers more than anything, but being so close to them is tough.  Lane has been keep a secret from his brothers.  A secret that may just tear his family apart once and for all.  Lane wants to help his family, but the minute they are done he is going to cut and run.   The one thing he didn’t factor in was Gretchen.  Gretchen, may be the very best thing he will never deserve.

Gretchen knows that Lane is only here temporarily.  And she is not a temporary type of girl.  She is a forever girl.  But her forever was taken from her.  With the encouragement of her best friends, Gretchen takes a leap of faith that maybe, just maybe she can have just a fling with Lane.  But what will she do when it is time for him to leave?

I loved this book.  Lane is tough, complicated, full of guilt, and a stubborn pain in the ass.  But in the end he has to learn that sometimes you have to fall before you can get up and live.  Gretchen is very strong, even when the chips are down she is a trooper.  But she never will let a man walk all over her.   Lane & Gretchen are a great couple to read about.  I look forward to seeing them in

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Kimberly’s review of Improper Relations by Juliana Ross

Improper Relations
AUTHOR: Juliana Ross
PUBLICATION DATE:   04/23/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N


BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Hannah’s caught watching her late husband’s cousin debauch the maid in the library, she’s mortified — but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she’s used to being ignored.

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she’s witnessed, but there’s something about Leo that draws her to him.

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can’t bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she’s losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?
REVIEWED BY: Kimberly Wise            
NUMBER OF STARS: 3 Stars

REVIEW:
Hannah happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, or is it? When she sees her cousin-by-marriage having sex with one of the maids she finds herself curious. She never knew sex could be like what she is watching. As a widow she has had little experience, and those experiences were lacking to say the least, so when Leo offers to show her that sex is enjoyable for both people involved she can not do anything but offer her body to the experience.

This is a short story (about 70 pages) set in a historical time period when stations mattered and a proper gentleman should not consort with a ladies companion. Hannah is naive beyond belief. I am really not sure anyone could be so naive about their own body but Hannah is written to be. Leo is an enjoyable character. He is written as if he is showing Hannah how to paint, “now put that there and this here”, but somehow it works. It is an interesting story and well written for a first book. The ending was written more on the romance side than the erotica side, which the beginning of the book felt more like erotica. The book is a nice short story. It will only take an hour or so to read and it is well worth that time.

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Kelly’s review of The Fake Boyfriend Experiment by Stephanie Rowe

The Fake Boyfriend Experiment
AUTHOR: Stephanie Rowe
PUBLICATION DATE:   
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Rafe Turner has a tattoo running from his wrist to his shoulder. His hair is a little too long. He doesn’t need to rebel, because owning his life is already in his blood. He’s way out of her league, for sure, but when Lily Gardner accidentally face plants through the window of his band’s practice room, a connection is formed between Rafe and Lily that can’t be shaken. When Rafe invites her to jam with his band, Lily knows the mega-talented drummer is exactly what she needs to fix her life. The fact that Rafe already has a girlfriend? No problem. It’ll be enough if people simply think she’s dating him…won’t it? Lily is about to discover that finding her passion is a whole lot more complicated than a fake boyfriend…or two.


REVIEWED BY: Kelly             
4 Stars

REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this young adult book.  I love how this book pulled me back to my high school years (which was a VERY long time ago). It was fun for me to read how one young girl deals with the stress her parents put on her to be the best.  The pressure she feels from her instructors to be the best.  The pressure of not fitting in with her life long friends, boys and will just about everyone around her.  

Lily is a great character. She is a typical teenage girl. Just wanting to fit in, but fitting in is has not been easy for Lily.  Her friends think of her as a geek.   Boy’s think she is weird.  Her parents just don’t understand.  But Lily is a very strong, capable, determined girl.  When Lily finds herself in a web of lies she has spun herself she finds out who her real friends are.  But only after getting her heart broke.

Rafe has been dealt a bad hand, his parents are divorcing, he is living with his aunt and he is having issues with his girlfriend. The only bright spot in his life is that his aunt is allowing him to have band practice at her house.  Without music Rafe would have nothing.   

Reading about Lily and Rafe really took me back.. I loved to watch young love bloom on the pages of The Fake Boyfriend Experiment.  

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Kimberly’s review of SEAL of my Dreams

SEAL of My Dreams
AUTHOR: Anthology
PUBLICATION DATE:   11/11/11
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N


BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Honor, duty, courage, passion . . . the men of the Navy SEALs are a special breed of hero, and in these novellas by eighteen top romance authors the SEALs are celebrated not only as symbols of devoted service to their country but as the kind of men every woman wants to love. They’ll rescue a damsel in distress and her lap dog, too. They’ll battle hometown dramas and international bad guys. When it comes to giving away their hearts, they’ll risk everything.

All proceeds from sales of SEAL of My Dreams go to the Veterans Research Corporation, a non-profit fundraiser for veterans’ medical research.

Between them, the authors of SEAL of My Dreams have won dozens of writing awards including multiple RITAs from Romance Writers of America. Their nearly 600 published novels have sold at least 35 million copies worldwide. The SEAL of My Dreams roster includes many of the best-known authors in modern romance fiction. In addition, many have strong family connections to the servicemen and women of our nation’s military, and many specialize in novels featuring heroes and heroines from all branches of service.
REVIEWED BY: Kimberly           
4 Stars

REVIEW:
SEAL Of My Dreams by Stephanie Bond actually includes 18 stories by some well known authors including Bond, Jami Alden, Kylie Brant, Helen Brenna, HelenKay Dimon, Cindy Gerard, Tara Jenzen, Leslie Kelly, Elle Kennedy, Alison Kent, Jo Leigh, Gennita Low, Marliss Melton, Christie Ridgway, Barbara Samuel, Roxanne St. Claire, Stephanie Tyler and Loreth Anne White.

All of these stories main characters are SEALS but in all honesty most could be any military.  Of course some stories are better than others and some are worse but they are all really good stories. I love anthologies because it is an excellent way to be introduced to new authors. Another great thing about anthologies is they are not a continuing story so it is something that would be great to download and have available to read at anytime. And this one is highly recommended to have on hand because who doesn’t love a SEAL?

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Alexis Morgan’s Paladins of Darkness Series

Dark Protector (Paladins of Darkness #1)

Devlin Bane:
Born a Paladin, he is a member of an ancient band of warriors locked in a centuries-old war against evil.
His destiny: To die over and over again to protect mankind from the Others, only to be revived each time by his mortal Handler.
But his fierce strength and courage cannot save him from gradually becoming one of the monsters he was born to destroy.
Dr. Laurel Young, who has spent years training to become a Handler, must remain detached from her patients. But each time she revives the darkly compelling Devlin Bane, he claims a little more of her soul and incites in her desires that grow wilder and wilder — even as he inches closer to losing his humanity. As the war against the Others grows more desperate, Laurel and Devlin can’t help but give in to the fierce hunger that’s sizzled between them for so long. Now they’ll face the ultimate battle together — to save a dark, passionate love that goes against every rule as they join forces to fight an enemy who is closer than they ever imagined….

Dark Defender (Paladins of Darkness #2)

Alexis Morgan continues her dazzling paranormal series about larger-than-life warriors and the women they love….
As a Paladin warrior, Blake Trahern fights and dies again and again to keep mankind safe from the Others. Sensing his humanity slipping away with each battle, he retreats from the world…until the one person who still has a claim on his soul needs his help. It’s been twelve years since Blake vanished from Brenna Nichols’s life, years that have turned her from a love-struck teen into a headstrong, sensual woman. He’ll fearlessly give his life to protect her — yet he dare not risk his heart.
Brenna is stunned by Blake’s reappearance, and by a shocking discovery about her father. Everything she has ever believed is thrown into question — everything except the desire that Blake still ignites. But as they search together for a traitor among the Paladins, danger looms: the next battle could tip Blake into madness, destroying his life, his soul…and the only woman he has ever loved.

In Darkness Reborn (Paladins of Darkness #3)

Alexis Morgan continues her red-hot paranormal series with a mysterious warrior and his forbidden love for a woman who’s allegiance lies with his sworn enemy. . . .
Once a warrior for the Others, Barak q’Young is caught between two worlds — exiled from his homeland, and a pariah among his enemies, the Paladins. While hunting a betrayer who’s selling the precious blue gems that light the Others’ world, Barak must aid geologist Lacey Sebastian in her research for the Paladins. Barak is instantly drawn to the fiery, beautiful woman, but Lacey initially despises the enemy intruder. Soon she sees beyond his violent past, though, finding the dark warrior intriguing — and extremely sexy.
Though neither can resist the passion that blazes between them, Barak is torn between loyalties, hiding a secret gift that could prove useful to Lacey’s research, at the sacrifice of his own people. But when Lacey is kidnapped and held hostage, Barak realizes he will do anything to save her . . . even risk his own life.

Redeemed in Darkness (Paladins of Darkness #4)


Alexis Morgan’s sizzling paranormal Paladin series continues with a courageous female warrior who can’t resist the man of her dreams — even if he is her sworn enemy….
A fiercely beautiful female leader from the Other world, Lusahn q’Arc can’t forget the Paladin warrior she met in battle — his chiseled body and piercing, thoughtful eyes still haunt her dreams. While investigating the smuggling of the mysterious blue stones used to light her shadowy world, Lusahn receives word that her missing brother, Barak, is alive — and working with the Paladins. Although angry at his betrayal, she arranges to meet him. But at the appointed time it is not Barak who arrives, but Cullen Finley — the enemy warrior who torments her memory.
Intense attraction immediately burns between Lusahn and Cullen despite their rival loyalties, and they can’t help surrendering to passion. Their time together is limited, though, for soon Cullen must return to his own world — with or without Lusahn. But when carefully laid plans go awry, together they must fight to keep their forbidden romance a secret — and keep each other alive.

Darkness Unknown (Paladins of Darkness #5)

Gwen Mosely’s life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight — a trait he shares with Gwen’s teenaged half-brother Chase.
Jarvis Donahue can’t keep his eyes — or his hands — off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen’s warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist…but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins’ dangerous lifestyle.
As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen’s farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover — but if he reveals his identity, he not only betrays his people’s secret, he risks losing her forever….


Defeat the Darkness (Paladins of Darkness #6)


Hard-eyed and hard-bodied, Hunter Fitzsimon isn’t what Tate Justice expected in a tenant for the apartment above her garage. Terse and intensely private, Hunter’s mission is to protect a narrow stretch of the barrier between Earth and Kalithia against the Paladins’ ruthless enemies — a job that would be much easier without his sexy landlady nosing around. So when she follows Hunter into the woods late one night, he decides to teach Tate a lesson with a passionate kiss that brings her to her knees…and unexpectedly ignites red-hot desire deep in his soul. But the warrior’s dark and dangerous world is no place for his fiery lover. Does possessing Tate mean turning his back on his brethren…or will Hunter forsake the woman of his dreams for the harsh duty he’s always known?

Bound by Darkness (Paladins of Darkness #7)

Caught between two worlds, a powerful warrior must choose between impossible destinies when he meets a woman whose love will either make or break him. . . .
As the daughter of a Regent, Sasha has long known about the secret underworld of the Paladins and their work protecting her kind from the dark forces on the other side of the energy barrier. So when she is sent on her first solo investigation, on the path to becoming the first female Regent, she is determined to get the Seattle Paladins in line. Offering sanctuary to their Kalith enemies is simply unacceptable But when she meets Larem, she is inexorably drawn to a dark and valiant warrior who is not at all what he appears to be. As the power struggle between Regents and Paladins rages on, someone starts making attacks on her life. Sasha must choose between loyalty to her own kind and the warrior she loves . . . with the very fate of humanity hanging in the balance.


The Darkness Beyond (Paladins of Darkness #8)

An online game of cat and mouse leads a Paladin warrior on a deadly rescue mission to claim the irresistible lover who should be his greatest enemy.D.J. Clayborne has finally met his match. After weeks of playing cyber tag, a mysterious hacker bests D.J. at his own game. His nemesis downloads a top-secret history of the Paladins, forcing him to go on the hunt. The trail leads D.J. straight to Regina Morrison, a woman who is as sexy as she is talented in the cyber world.Reggie has been working around the clock to stop a legendary computer hacker from accessing her clients’ files, but the last thing she expects is to have D.J. show up at her door. Or that he’s even hotter than his evasive avatar. Soon they’re flirting with a dangerous line between duty and desire.Now, Reggie’s investigation gets her kidnapped by the Others and forced across the hostile energy barrier into an alien world. And it’s up to D.J. to track down the captivating woman whose ability to break through his firewalls is also breaking through to his warrior’s heart.

Darkness on Fire (Paladins of Darkness #9)

A warrior in need of a battle he can fight . . .

Penn has struggled for years to overcome a devastating injury to his sword arm. He’s been forced to sit on the sidelines and watch his friends fight and die while all he can do is watch.

Then Devlin offers him a mission: a mysterious woman called to warn them that someone is threatening the stability of the barrier near the Yellowstone caldera, which could destroy both worlds. Penn packs his guns and his sword and heads for Wyoming to assess the situation.

Brought to our world as an infant, Jora b’Larth has spent her entire life living in fear of being discovered by her people’s enemies, the Paladins. But now the stakes are too high to worry about her own safety.

Penn and Jora join forces to face a common enemy. To save their worlds, they’ll risk their lives-and their hearts.  


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Spotlight Feature of Play Me by Jennifer Probst

Play Me
Jennifer Probst

Professional gambler Sloane Keller is tired of dating weak willed men and longs to meet a man who challenges her dominant personality and forces her to submit. As the Queen of Cards, she’s used to making her own rules, and craves the excitement of Vegas. But her inner heart cries out for someone who can be her match, both inside the casino and in the bedroom.
As the new dealer in town, Roman Steele is burnt out on women looking for a quick penny and a man to follow. He craves a woman with fire in her soul and a keen intellect who can challenge him. When his brother recruits Madame Eve to help, Rome is amazed at the complicated woman he gets to spend the night with. But when the evening is over, will she be gutsy enough to offer him forever?
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.
She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons, one 4 and one 6, keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
Her publications with Red Sage include “Masquerade” Secrets Volume 11,  The Tantric Principle, and Sex, Lies and Contracts. Her 1NightStand series include Catch Me and Play Me in The Steele Brothers series with Decadent, and her #1 Barnes and Noble bestseller, The Marriage Bargain, from Lori Wilde’s Indulgence line at Entangled. She has also written a children’s book, Buffy and the Carrot, co-written with her twelve year old niece, along with a short story about a shelter dog, “A Life Worth Living.” All of her books are available at her website or Amazon.
Website / Facebook / Twitter


Excerpt:
Walking past the bar, he headed toward table six. He needed to loosen up and not take the encounter too seriously. His older brother had bought him an evening with a woman—hopefully one he was compatible with. No reason to bitch and look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth.
He stopped dead and stared at the woman in black at table six.
Her name suddenly rang through his head in a symphony of clanging bells. Sloane Keller. Champion of the World Series of Poker. The Queen of Cards.
His mouth snapped shut. Was this a joke? A revised version of Candid Camera? He’d been half in love with her since she’d stumbled on the card scene with a cold confidence that pissed everyone off. She’d come from behind and won her first poker championship with the big boys. An unknown, unnamed long shot everyone laughed out of the game. With icy deliberation and a talent that blew him away, she blew every other player off the table and never batted an eyelash with victory.
Shit. She’s gorgeous.
His gaze swept over her with a greediness he’d never experienced. The woman practically exuded I dare you to any guy within her distance. Her hair shimmered under the lights, an exotic black cherry, falling pin straight to brush the top of her shoulders. Longish bangs hid most of her features until she turned her head, and he caught a whirling impression of strength. A stubborn chin. High cheekbones. Arched dark brows. Thick eyelashes. Her lips were ruby red and not overly puffy like the normal Botox look. No, they were perfectly sculpted with just a hint of plumpness in the lower lip. Her outfit added to the impression of lean power—a sleeveless black silk blouse, dark trousers, low-heeled sandals. She perched on the chair as she stared at her cards, her blood red toenails tapping on the bottom rung. Her fingers were lightning quick, the nails matching the color of her toes.
Suddenly, she paused. Her shoulders tightened and she swung her head around with a hint of annoyance.
Her gaze slammed into his with a fierceness and challenge that singed his nerve endings and his cock. Eyes a deep violet sucked him in as deep as he imagined her wet pussy would welcome him. But it wouldn’t be easy. Everything about the woman screamed the need for an alpha to take her under him. Figuratively and literally.
He met her stare dead on and refused to back down. A few beats passed. Then she turned away with a dismissive shake of her head, obviously irritated she’d lost the skirmish. Satisfaction thrummed in his veins. Finally. A woman he could sink his teeth into without worrying. I’ll bet this woman would bite back.
Why the hell had she signed up for a 1Night Stand? She had her own groupies—men who’d line up to take her to bed. Vegas looked upon her as a literal rock star.
He took stock of the situation. There must be a damn good reason she used a dating service to get laid. Her dismissal told him she cared less if he’d been bought and paid for. She refused to stroll off with any man, even if Madame Eve arranged it. The deliberate action told him he’d need to earn his time with Sloane Keller.
A smile played about his lips.
Game on.
He closed the distance between them.
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Kelly’s review of Dark Marcy by Zoe Winters

Dark Mercy
AUTHOR: Zoe Winters
PUBLICATION DATE:   03/02/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Angeline has been on the run from her sire, Linus, for centuries. She’s tired, and she’s lonely. High from mescaline-induced blood, she sees a sign—a church that seems to glow in the distance—and she knows. Her future mate is in that building.


Important Author’s Note:

Dark Mercy is the beginning of Hadrian and Angeline’s story, not the end. Their HEA will happen later in their own full-length novel. This story is important both for the overall series and for this couple, but it’s not their HEA. Just a mild disclaimer so no one goes in with false expectations for this story.


REVIEWED BY: Kelly            
5 Stars

REVIEW:
I won’t give you too much because this was a novella.  A very short insight into Angeline & Hadrian’s story.  

Zoe sucked me into this novella and then totally killed me with the ending.  MAJOR CLIFF hanger.  I loved learning about Angeline & Hadrian.  Both are very damaged in very different ways and in all ways perfect for eachother.  But now I have to patiently wait for the answers to all my questions.

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Guest Blogger: Danielle Blanchard

How to Create a Cool Vampire series!
I hope no one gets this post twisted and thinks it is only for writers or would-be writers. I am an avid reader and I love to read as much as I love to create characters of my own.
Like most readers who have an electronic readind device (Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony, et cetera), I find myself going to a website (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords—take your pick) and I usually decide whether or not to buy a book based upon the cover (is it professionally done or at least attractive), the blurb (I cut some slack on this one as some people just don’t know how to write effective blurbs), reviews (I am quite morbid as I go to the lowest rated reviews first) but more often than not, what will make the decision for me will be reading a sample of said work.
Okay, so what the hell does this have to do with creating a kick ass vampire series? Quite a bit to be honest. The paranormal market is saturated but there are more tales about werewolves and vampires than any other kind of supernatural creature (I’d hazard to guess zombies come in a close third but they are mostly relegated to horror and not paranormal or urban fantasy).
That is a lot of material to peruse and to be honest, who has the time?
Of course there are short cuts to finding a new and interesting book or author. Amazon has created popularity pages and a top one hundred for ever genre and sub-genre. That means for vampire lovers, they can simply peruse the top 100 in vampire novels/novellas to see if there is anything they like and buy.
That must be great if you are on the top 100 but since I haven’t gotten there—yet—checking the top 100 to see what is popular can definitely give you a good idea in what direction you want to go but first we should lay down some ground rules:
·         The lethal vampire hunter genre is oversaturated and unless your name is Laurell K. Hamilton or Jeaniene Frost then I would stay away from this sub-section.
·         Bad ass, hot vamp guys to base a story upon…great idea but that market is cornered severely by J.R. Ward and Lara Adrian so just…stop, don’t do it!
·         Somewhat innocent mortal females who are dragged into the vampire world…nope, no, nein and non! Please, please don’t embarrass yourself. One word: dignity. Remember Stephenie Meyer, Charlaine Harris and Kresley Cole (gotta love how she combines super bad ass supernatural villains and somewhat spit-fire innocent females…classic)!
There is a reason while all the authors above along with a whole host of others are a mainstay in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre, especially when young paranormal romance junkies are looking for their fix. Don’t bother poaching on territory that is perfection, especially if you don’t have a publishing contract and your name isn’t one with any real weight behind it.
Believe it or not, my series, The Vamp Saga, slowly came to me. I wanted to create a whole new breed of vampire where they didn’t have to hide in the shadows and they ran everything. Mortals aren’t exactly vamp food in my books as they don’t have to be…they have their blood beverages but nothing beats a tasty old human…unless you are a Day Walker and then mortal blood doesn’t do anything for you.
One of the best compliments I have ever received came from a blog reviewer who asked me how much research I did for my novels. The answer is tons and although she noticed, it doesn’t bother me the least bit when someone doesn’t notice either.
So, to recap, The Vamp Saga doesn’t encompass any of the above as the main character, Manon, is a half-vampire who doesn’t know it. She falls for the ultra suave Mikkel, and sparks fly. But—and there is a huge BUT—is he the love of her life and were they ever meant to be?
The story had to be a series because the plot was too intricate and too complicated to shove all in one novel but for those who want to read about their story, there is Death Wish; for those who want to read what happened before that night and how all the chess pieces were put into place, there is a novella I wrote after Death Wish, Death Lair. And lastly, for those who just want to see what happens when one must reap what they sow, there is Better off Dead.
Although it is book two in the series, Better off Dead won’t be the latest in The Vamp Saga for long. Book Three, Queen of the Undead, is finished and will be released at the end of June or early part of July this year. I can tell you BODdoes not end on a cliffhanger (my editor abhors them and won’t let me so I stopped trying… *sigh*) but that isn’t the purpose. So much is going in, I just thought I would treat the readers out there who have discovered my different vampire series and actually like it.
Do I crave J.R. Ward and Charlaine Harris status? Of course I do…but I won’t ride their coattails to do it. They created some damn good characters and I hope one day someone is writing a blog post and mentions me in a list like this as well.
The Vamp Saga novels can be found and purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords.

About The Author
Danielle Blanchard Benson is a world traveler and author of several different series.

Ms. Blanchard Benson is the author of Beginnings: Book I (The Plague), Death Wish: Book I, Better off Dead: Book II and Death Lair: A Novella (all from The Vamp Saga), The Catalyst: Book One (The Pop Stars) and The Beautiful People series.
She is currently working on Queen of the Undead: Book III (The Vamp Saga) Hart Attack: Book I (The Hart Family Saga), Apocalypse 2012: Book II (The Plague), Love Voodoo: Book I (DeGeneration) and The Making of a Star: Book Two (The Pop Stars).
Ms. Blanchard Benson has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Blog:http://thebeautifulpeopleawritersjourney.blogspot.com/
Follow Danielle Blanchard Benson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dblanchbenz007
Like Danielle Blanchard Benson on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/Author.Danielle.Blanchard.Benson

Email Me: mzdanibee007@gmail.com

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Interview with S.Evan Townsend

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome back S.Evan Townsend 
to the blog to talk about his newest book Rock Killer

1.     Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a 51-year-old writer living in central Washington State.  I’ve been writing since I was about 12 years old when I taught myself how to type on a typewriter (this was decades before home computers).  Since January 2011 I’ve been writing exclusively, giving up my day job.  I have been doing freelance for local publications and for websites in addition to marketing my own books published by World Castle Publishing.  In my spare time I enjoy reading, driving (sometimes on a racetrack), meeting people, and talking with friends. I’m in a 12-step program for Starbucks addiction.  I live with my wife of 30 years, and two sons (one in high school, the other in college) and I have a son attending the University of Washington in biology. I enjoy science fiction, fantasy, history, politics, cars, and travel.  

2.     Have you always wanted to be an author?
Well, except when I was five and wanted to be a fireman, yes, I always wanted to be an author.  I taught myself to type on a typewriter and started writing.  I assume what I wrote when I was 12 was very jejune.  But over the past 39 years I’ve gotten better.

3.     Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
There really isn’t a typical day of writing.  I tend to write in spurts and when inspired.  I’ll start writing at 10:00 A.M. and write until 2:00 A.M. some days or I might not write for a few days in a row.

4.     Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most challenging, and rewarding, part of writing (not marketing, publishing, etc.) is finding new ways to describe mundane things.  Not every hero can be saving heroines all the time; he needs to get out of bed, shave, shower, get dressed, and drive to work.  And a lot of times you just skip that but sometimes you can’t and it’s a challenge to write it in such a way that it is interesting for the reader.  And when you manage to do that, it’s also rewarding.

5.     Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My latest book is Rock Killer.  It’s a science fiction novel set in the not-too-distant future when asteroids are being mined for their valuable metals without degrading Earth.  But some are even opposed to that and they resort to violence to reach their political ends.  That is, they are terrorists.  Alexander Chun, literally a million miles from help, and without armaments, must stop them before they kill him and his multi-national crew.

6.     How did you come with the idea for this story?
In the early 2000s there were eco-terrorist attacks in the Pacific Northwest where I live.  Luckily there was only property damage and no one was hurt.  But I wondered what motivated such people and I decided that it wasn’t that they were trying to protect the environment, but they were trying to stop human progress.  And what if in the future there were still people who had this idea that human progress is bad and they acted on it.

7.     Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Right now I’m working on a third book in my Adept series.  These are urban fantasy novels set in the recent past.  In this third novel, set in 1968, I am bringing in necromancy, nuclear weapons, the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and my character has to stop a plot by rouge KGB agents to destroy America.  At least that’s my plan.  It may change as I write it.  I’m about half-way through it.

8.     Who are some of your favorite authors?
My favorite fiction writers are Robert A. Heinlein and Poul Anderson.  I also enjoy early Larry Niven.  Heinlein always told a great story but had a message behind it.  Poul Anderson makes up worlds that you think you visited, they are so detailed.  And Larry Niven came up with some amazing ideas such as Ringworld.

9.     Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style? 
Oh, yes.  In writing Rock Killer I was trying to write a Niven-esque hard science fiction novel.  And my tendency to have strong women characters is at least partially from Heinlein and Anderson.

10.  What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I have a thing for old science fiction.  So my TBR pile is mostly old science fiction.  Someone is reprinting all of Poul Anderson’s short stories in many volumes and that’s on my TBR pile (I’ve bought most of them already). 

11.  Is there anything else you would like to add?
I don’t know about other writers but I find there is a dichotomy in being a writer.  Writing is a solitary, introverted pursuit.  You sit alone at a computer and your “friends” are your characters.  But marketing a book is just the opposite.  You need to “network” and get out and meet people and be engaged in all sorts of social media.  It’s just the opposite of writing.  The successful author can do both.