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Kimberly’s review of Misty by M. Garnett

TITLE: Misty
SERIES #: Blood Sisters #1
CHARACTERS: Misty & Rad
AUTHOR: M. Garnett
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/15/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N (no link)

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
I don’t have a sister—I was an orphan. I don’t believe in Vampires. They are myths that make interesting movies.

Say this three times, and three women find out that what they have believed in all their lives is wrong. They do have sisters, and there are Vampires.

Among the Vampires are those who just want their blood, because it is better than normal mortal blood. But there is also a special connection for each sister with three male Vampires who want more than just blood.

REVIEW:
3.5 Stars Ummm… Well I think I liked this book. I am not really sure but since I want to read the second in the three book series I am thinking I did. It is an interesting story. A few things are different than the normal vampire book but then again so many authors put their own spin on the breed.

I really liked Rad. He is really the hot vampire we all enjoy reading about. And Misty is written as a very strong woman who doesn’t just crumple into her vampire to be protected. I was impressed with the independence of this character.

The running away/hunt pages went on too long. While I enjoyed the clever writing of how Misty stayed on the run I was bored with the chase after one chapter. Unfortunately it went on a lot longer than that.

The other problem was I expected the other two sisters to show up but they never did. As a matter of fact they were not even mentioned until the last page. Which is why I do want to know what happens to the sisters. And on a personal note I really dislike that the cover has triplets (the sisters are not) and that they look nothing like the character described but that is just my opinion.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Interview & Giveaway with Jane Ashford

Books-n-Kisses is please to have Jane Ashford on the blog to chat a little about her new book “Once Again a Bride“.

Jane, can you please share with us a little about yourself
JA: I love words. When I remember Joseph Campbell’s advice “follow your bliss,” I think of language and stories. I’ve pretty much stuck with words throughout my life. I studied literature and creative writing. I’ve worked as a composition teacher, an editor and in corporate communications. And I now have the privilege of being a full-time writer. My website is janeashford.com and my Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Ashford/154028944714495

Have you always wanted to be an author?
JA: I have. My mother wrote, and she encouraged me. I also loved to read from the moment I learned how. Books were just magical things to me – spells evoking the full gamut of emotion and time travel and amazing images. I wanted to be that kind of magician.

Are you a plotter or a pantster or combo of both?
JA: A combo. I make pages of notes before beginning a book, particularly about the characters. They include events that will happen, but it is not an official outline. This often means that my first runthrough is more of a “rough draft” than a “first draft.”

What is your most interesting writing quirk?
JA: I don’t know if it’s interesting, but I tend to hear the text as I write. I’m more an aural writer than a visual one.

Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
JA: Once Again a Bride is the double love story of Charlotte Rutherford Wylde and her maid Lucy Bowman. Thrown into a contemptuous household by Charlotte’s arranged marriage, and coldly oppressed in different ways, they both find their ways to love. After Charlotte’s aged husband Henry is killed in the dark London streets, they discover he had a family they knew nothing about. They’re taken into the household of his nephew Sir Alec Wylde, which includes handsome, sassy footman Ethan Trask. A dual attraction lights up, but there are many complications before the two couples are united.

How did you come with the idea for this story?
JA: It started with a phrase that popped into my mind “the Widow Wylde.” As I mentioned, I’m very attuned to the sound of words. They have a kind of music. And this phrase felt full of promise. I played with implications. What kind of widowhood? How wild? And characters started to make themselves known. I also became interested, in these tough economic times, in how a responsible landowner might deal with the agricultural depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars.

Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
JA: I recently finished another historical for Sourcebooks, A Compliant Husband. You can read a bit about it on my website http://www.janeashford.com/wip.html I’m working on another to follow it.

Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?

JA: I’d love to talk to Alice Hoffman about magical realism.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to get into writing?
JA: As they say in one of my favorite movies, Galaxy Quest, “Never give up, never surrender.” That is, if you really want to be a writer, keep writing and working on being better at it, keep submitting or putting the results out there. Perseverance in the face of rejection is a huge part of success in writing.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
JA: I’d like to visit New Zealand, which seems to be an amazingly beautiful country. Among other things I’d like to see the facade of Hobbiton Peter Jackson created there.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
JA: I’m doing some reading for the Rita Awards right now. I don’t always keep up with release dates; that way a new book by a favorite writer can be a lovely surprise. I do wish Charles de Lint would write another Newford book!

What is one book everyone should read before they die?
JA: Wow. That’s a hard question. One? (dithers, panics) No, no! I can’t pick just one.

What is your favorite time of year & why?
JA: This in interesting because I’ve been spending some time in Los Angeles lately, where the seasons are so much less marked than in New England. I’m not really missing the snow and ice so far! But I think fall in western Massachusetts is probably a favorite. For the foliage colors, of course, and the quality of the air and the light, and warm memories I have from that area.

Who is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?
JA: Okay, I’ve always had a thing for Pierce Brosnan. Handsome, suave, twinkle in the eye, family man, actor, painter. What’s not to like? And I’d probably just stammer.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
JA:  Thanks so much for having me. I’ll be at the RT Booklovers Convention in May. Hope to see you there!

 

ONCE AGAIN A BRIDE

BY JANE ASHFORD 

IN STORES FEBRUARY 2013

Amazon| B&N | Book-a-Million | IndieBound |Chapters/Indigo | Sourcebooks

She couldn’t be more alone…

Widowhood has freed Charlotte Wylde from a demoralizing and miserable marriage. But when her husband’s intriguing nephew and heir arrives to take over the estate, Charlotte discovers she’s unsafe in her own home… Alec Wylde was shocked by his uncle’s untimely death, and even more shocked to encounter his uncle’s beautiful young widow. Now clouds of suspicion are gathering, and charges of murder hover over Charlotte’s head.

He could be her only hope…or her next victim…

 

A little more about Jane Ashford discovered Georgette Heyer in junior high school and was captivated by the glittering world and witty language of Regency England. That delight led her to study English literature and travel widely in Britain and Europe. Jane’s historical and contemporary romances have been published all over the world, and she has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews. Eighteen of her Regency romances will be published by Sourcebooks in the near future! Born in Ohio, Jane currently lives in Boston. For more information, please visit www.janeashford.com.

 

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Interview with the authors of Vampires Gone Wild…..& a giveaway too

Oh those funny authors

Thank you for hosting us today during out whirlwind blog tour for Vampires Gone Wild. Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer are here today to tell you about the strange life of being paranormal writers.

So this recent anthology is all about Vampires, do you ever come up with anything so wild that you scare yourself, that leaves you wondering where that came from?

Kerrelyn Sparks: There are times when the characters surprise me and say or do something really crazy.  If I tell them they can’t do that, they tell me to buzz off.  Also, my heroes tend to kiss the heroines without my permission, before I was planning for them to do it.  If I object, they smirk at me.

Pamela Palmer: Oh, yes, all the time. My imagination seems to be fascinated by the things that used to give me nightmares. Starting with vampires!

Amanda Arista: Going to echo everyone else on this one. Yes, especially when I’m trying to really test a character. When you are really testing a character’s metal, you have to pit them against their personal darkest fear. For some, that’s being buried alive in a coffin seven feet below the surface where they can still hear the living, or putting them in them in a dark alley with a monster and nothing to protect themselves.

Kim Falconer: Oh yes. Particularly with characters that are over the top, or emotionally on the edge. To write them, you have to ‘go there’ in your mind. You have to ask, what would it be like to have that perspective? The answers come out in the writing, and it can be terrifying. When that happens, the up side is, you know you’re on to something good! Something real.

Since you all are multi-published authors, what would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

KS: Thinking my characters are real with minds of their own (see above comment).

PP: I always listen to music when I write—Keiko Matsui’s new age jazz instrumentals. I turn on the music when I sit down to write and turn it off when I get up, even if it’s just to refill my coffee mug. Hearing that music puts my mind in instant writing mode.

AA: Coffee. It’s not so much the caffeine as the ritual of making the coffee. My brain knows that when I go to make the cup of coffee that it’s writing time. With the biggest mug that I can find, I can start my writing. Same works at coffee shops. A cup of black coffee with a splash of cream and two sugars. And then I sit down and begin the torture.

KF: I have this habit, when waiting for a new wave of inspiration, of rubbing my hands together, like in those cartoons when someone’s just gotten a great idea, or is about to execute a plan. Almost an ‘evil grin – now we’re cooking’ action. Within seconds, the light bulb goes on. Every time.

Since the book is about things that go bump in the night, what was a time in your life when you were really scared?

KS: I get scared when someone I care about is in danger.  They can be real people or imaginary ones.

PP: Hmm…I’d probably have to say a time when I was really scared was the first time I went water skiing after watching the movie Jaws. We lived on the water in Florida when I was in high school, on the intercoastal waterway that leads out to the Gulf of Mexico. My little brother, who was about twelve at the time, saw a fin breach the water near him when he was up on the skis, panicked, and dropped the rope…right beside the fin. You can imagine the grief I gave him about his lousy survival instincts. Fortunately, it was just a dolphin, and one who ignored him.

AA: Madame Tussaud’s House of Wax. There is a Halloween exhibit of all the nightmare creatures from the movies: Freddie, Jason, the Alien, Chucky. I knew that they weren’t going to jump out at me (hello, wax), but I couldn’t stop my imagination from going there. What if all of them attacked at once? I hid behind my mom the whole time (she was totally calm).

KF: On a dive off the Channel Islands, 75 feet deep, a school of thirty tiger sharks swimming between me and the surface, almost out of air . . .

Since we know that the book has vampires and romance in it, what did you edit OUT of this book?

PP: Nothing that I can think of. I tend to write in layers, so I’m always adding IN, not out.

AA: There was a piece of information about Valiance that I had built in as a deep secret that he would share with Esme to show how much he trusted her. But as I kept working at their story, about the time that Valiance was realizing that he wasn’t the man he used to be, that information wasn’t relevant to who he was anymore, who he was with her. It was kinda an interesting moment as a writer and as a person.

KF: I took out one of Salila’s scenes (a secondary character) which was very dark and sexual. On second and third thought, it was too full on for the shorter work. There wasn’t enough time to ‘repair’ afterwards, and choices weren’t making quite the right sense. It had to go, but Salila will hopefully have her day in the sun, somewhere down the track.

The perception of the paranormal romance writer is that she is just a little bit weirder than most. Do you find yourself to be more idiosyncratic than the average person? Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer?

KS: I always thought I was normal, but my critique partners took me gently aside to break the news.  Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer?  Yes. Getting fat from too many hours in front of a computer!

PP: Ha. I guess that depends on your definition of ‘weird’. If being addicted to paranormal and fantasy television dramas (True Blood, Vampire diaries, Game of Thrones, etc.), loving dark fantasy movies and paranormal romance novels, and being fascinated by antique knives and swords is weird, then yes. Definitely. : ) Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer? Several. We’re prone to sitting too much! I try to spend at least an hour on the treadmill every day to counteract that. And we tend to talk to ourselves. Thank goodness for wireless phone technology. Now when I’m talking to myself in the car, or as I walk down the sidewalk, no one thinks twice. I’m sure they assume I have a Bluetooth receiver clipped to my ear.

AA: Yes, but admitting it is the first step right? I think studying story structure and techniques had probably made me a very idiosyncratic wife. My poor hubby has to listen to me talk about my “Supreme Ordeal” at work and the “Crossing the threshold” moment I had when it came to my novel. And heaven forbid we see a movie that completely skimped on the hero’s journey. My poor hubby has to hear about it. The biggest occupational hazard that I’ve come across is that I’m curious. About everything. I know my hairdressers entire story because I kept asking him about it. And the guys at electronic and gun stores probably roll their eyes when they see me coming. However, I have learned to at least give people a heads up. “Hi, I’m a writer and I saw (blank). Can you tell me more about it?”

KF: I think any writer is a little quirky. A lot quirky. It comes from spending so much time alone in one’s own head. Because we’re thinking a lot about ‘paranormal’ worlds, well, you are what you think about, right?  Occupational hazards to being a writer include, talking to oneself, aloud, interrupting people in the middle of a conversation to jot down something that has nothing to do with them, or what they were saying,  craving solitude (to get back to the people in the story), being oblivious to meals, appointments, normal sleeping hours and other people’s needs while in writing mode. Oh, and a big one, not getting enough physical exercise. Writer’s need an hour (of bootcamp level) work out, every day, to counter all that time on one’s duff.

Now that we know what scares you and what it takes to get you in the mood, what’s next on the horizon?

KS: A diet!!

PP: Book 2 in the Vamp City series, A Kiss of Blood, comes out June 26th. And the 8th book in my Feral Warriors shape-shifter series will be out in about a year. (Book 7, A Love Untamed, came out last month).

AA: More short stories from the Those who Wander universe and, cross our fingers, a new series about demon redemption.

KF: More of the Blood and Water ilk! I am writing a series, both historical and contemporary, based on this entombed, undersea race.

Thank you for hosting us today.

If you have any questions about our crazy writer lives, please feel free to post a comment/question.

One random commenter will win a digital copy of Vampires Gone Wild

 
Amazon |B&N

Vampires Gone Wild brings together four paranormal romance novellas by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer, authors and bloggers at Supernatural Underground.
Kerrelyn Sparks’s demure Pamela and sexy vampire sidekick battle the Malcontents in “V is for Vampwoman.” Kim Falconer’s aqueous San Francisco vampires in “Blood and Water” want nothing from “landers” — unless it’s dinner, but that’s until Stellan meets Angelina. Pamela Palmer carries readers to Vamp City in “A Forever Love” where trapped Lukas pines for his lost love. When she appears, Lukas will fight to keep her alive. It’s been a hundred years since Valiance has dated; all is great until they’re attacked, but quiet Esme will shock Valiance in Amanda Arista’s “First Dates Are from Hell.”

Supernatural Underground

We’re a group of HarperCollins authors, writing Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Fantasy/Sci-Fi for adults and teens under the Avon, Eos and HarperTeen imprints. Call it what you like, if it lurks in the shadows, and there’s fur, fangs, fins, phantoms or faery wings involved, we write it!

 

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Kelly’s review of How Hard Can It Be? by Robyn Peterman

TITLE: How Hard Can It Be?
AUTHOR: Robyn Peterman
PUBLICATION DATE: Jan 17, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

One happy ending coming right up…

What happens when an accountant decides to grab life by the horns and try something new? Apparently a pirate named Dave, a lot of pastel fleece, and blackmail—just to start with…

Visualize and succeed, Oprah said. I was sure as hell trying, even if my campaign to score a job as the local weather girl had ended in a restraining order. Okay, TV was not my strength. But a lack of talent has never stopped me before. Which is why I’ve embarked on a writing career. I mean, how hard can it be to come up with a sexy romance?

Leave it to me to wind up in a group of grandmotherly porno writers who discuss sex toys and apple cobbler in the same breath. Also leave it to me to leak an outlandish plot idea to a bestselling author with the morals of a rabid squirrel. And only I could get arrested for a jewelry heist I didn’t commit—by a hunky cop whose handcuffs just might tempt me to sign up for a life of crime. Maybe I’ve found my calling after all

REVIEW:
I have to start by saying a huge thank you to my pal Kally for gifting me this book to read. Robyn has such a dry sense of humor. I was busting a gut throughout this whole book. And yes I was brought to emotional tears too. I really can’t wait to see what Robyn has in store for us next.

How Hard Can It Be is the story of Rena trying to find out who she really is. Rena signs up for a book writing club in hopes to becoming the next big writing super star. Instead Rena finds herself, arrested, being blackmailed, falling in love, being dumped and well up a creek without a paddle. But even after all that Rena finds a way to save the day???
Or does she?

Super funny!!! And boy howdy the story Rena writes is off the charts… In a totally and completely wrong way.

Disclaimer:
This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
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Guest Reviewer Tonya reviews The Fatal Series by Marie Force

SERIES TITLE: The Fatal Series

AUTHOR: Marie Force

The “Fatal Series” is by far one of the best legal romance thriller type book series I have ever read. There are a total of 6 books in the series so far with the 7th book coming out in June. Marie Force has done an absolutely amazing job describing her characters and bringing them to life in her books. You truly feel like you are friends with the main characters Sam and Nick. And as their lives and the lives of their families and friends unfold within the pages of each of the Fatal books you are drawn in deeper with each turn of the page, leaving you breathless, excited, anxious and racing to get to the next book. And if you finish before book 7 comes out don’t be surprised if you are either picking them up to read them again or are going through serious withdrawals waiting for that next book to open and see the lives of Sam and Nick unfold before you again.
Contained within this write up are the reviews for each of the 6 books currently in this series. I have to say again what an amazing writer Marie Force is. This is just one of several series she has written not to count multiple stand alone books. You wont go wrong reading any of her books but by far to me the “Fatal Series” books are 5 star top notch books.
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 Book 1 – FATAL AFFAIR – High Paced – Super Intense!!!
I love books with strong female leads and I love books even more when the strong female lead is in a powerful position like in this case a detective.Samantha “Sam” Holland is a detective investigating the horrific murder of a very popular US Senator. A major witness to the case Nick a man she had a one night stand with over 6 years ago found the body of the senator. Sam has had so real trials in her life since then from a bad marriage, her father (once the chief of police) being injured on the duty and permanently paralyzed, a high profile case she was on turned bad and now the murder of a US Senator. She doesn’t need this man to come back into her life but he does and at full force.

The plot of the book, the lay out all of it is excellent. I love when I can start a book and immediately be drawn into the story, into the lives of the characters and feel like I am right there, like one of them. You can’t wait for the next page, the next clue to try and find out who murdered the Senator and let me just say I was completely shocked in the outcome – who really murdered the senator.
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Book 2 – FATAL JUSTICE – Highly Intense-Superb!!!
If you liked book 1 in the Fatal Series you will LOVE book 2 “Fatal Justice” OMG I could not put this book down. I fell in love with the main characters Sam “Samantha” Holland and Nick Cappuano in book 1 but this book sealed it.Sam and Nick go through some very real life issues in this book, learning more about each other, a lot of Sam’s past is revealed in this book and what she went through. How her and Nick handle each incident is very well laid out and feels so very true to life. You laugh, you cry, and you can’t wait for the next page to see what happens.

This one starts out with a man who commits a horrific crime on his family and during the investigation information about her father is found. Sam’s on high alert how is this man connected to what happened to her father all those years ago.

A high profile murder and Nick is back in the spotlight as he and Graham and Lainie are close to this person. Then a young man almost murdered related to the person who was murdered and this investigation becomes very twisted, Sam struggles to put the pieces together.

Sam goes through a lot of trials in this book, from being held hostage, shot at, horrible car accident, yes even almost losing Nick. All test her strength and resolve and her relationship with Nick. They hit some bumps in this one, but its really great to read how they get through each one.

I really love the epilogue on this – oh now don’t go and rush to get to it but it is by far the best, and I mean the best way for this to be done that I have seen in a book EVER……..

Hurry up and get this book now if you haven’t read book one “Fatal Affair” you have to start there first but then rush to get this one. I am off to get book Three “Fatal Consequences”

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 Book 3 – FATAL CONSEQUENCES – Buckle Up This One Is Explosive!!!
Sam and Nick are back again for book 3, with Nick preparing for reelection and Sam back on the job as they celebrate their engagement yet another mystery to solve. Several women are murdered, one of Sam’s own is horrible attacked and the clock is ticking for Sam to figure out just who is killing women in her city. As always it hits close to home with Sam and Nick and the political world is turned upside down again from yet another scandal. This one by far the best scandal so far.I love how Marie writes her story lines, they are so fast paced and entrenched in details. Not only do you feel like you are right there while Sam and her team are chasing down the bad guys, but you are right there while Nick is dealing with reelection, they deal with her family and a possible new member to their family and you begin to learn a lot more about Cruz, Gonzo and McBride.

Even though the main characters are Nick and Sam, I love how Marie adds in the story lines for Gonzo and Christina, Cruz and Elin as well as her father and his new bride Celia. This book starts off with the wedding of her father and Celia and what a wedding it is. And just builds from there.

Like the other books I couldn’t put this one down and before I knew it I was done and rushing to download the next one. Great job Marie as always.

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 Novella – FATAL DESTINY – A Wedding To Remember!!!
Marie did a great job sharing Nick and Sam’s wedding. From wedding planner Shelby aka Tinkerbelle to the dress by Vera Wang it is the perfect wedding, but getting there isn’t so perfect.As always there is something going on in Sam’s world of homicide that always seems to keep Nick and the reader slapping your hand to your palm saying OMG not again Sam. LOL

The book starts out with Nick worrying about Sam’s whereabouts as he is home with a house full of guest for their wedding shower. There is something going on between them and he is worried as they seem to have drifted apart. He thinks its from his extreme amount of time with work. He doesn’t know she is trying to fight through an inner turmoil after the loss of their unborn child.

This novella is perfect it is mostly about the wedding of course but there is some work for Sam thrown in there which of course just has to be with Nick and Sam. LOL Sam learns her team mates have been working on the lead they found at the Reece house in regards to the shooting of her father. She is also dealing with the fact her ex husband who is in jail for the attempted murder of her and her soon to be husband Nick may get out of jail on a technicality. Sam turns to an old informant for some help in searching through the clues into her fathers shooting. And in the process she learns of a horrible man who committed a horrifying crime and walked away without a slap on his hand. In digging into this she learns of something the AUSA did and why.

This story digs more into that and what the fall out is just before the wedding (of course) and then its the big day the wedding and OH WHAT A WEDDING IT IS……..

You wont be sorry for reading Fatal Destiny.

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 Book 4 – FATAL FLAW – Flawless Edition To The Fatal Series!!!
Marie has done it again with the next book in the Fatal Series…. I just can not get enough of Nick and Sam and the rest of the gang. As soon as I finish one book I am downloading and delving right into the next book.Nick and Sam return from their honeymoon and dive right back into their life and work. This book has a bit of a twist in that the crime Sam is investigating does not have a political connection this time which was really nice to see as we all no even though they are in DC not all crimes are political in nature. The victims all seem to be well liked, no enemies and there seems to be no evidence left behind to give Sam the thread she loves to pull to unravel a crime. But there is a connection that she later finds in each one – one big connection that leads to a very unexpected and surprising end to the crime spree.

Nick and Scotty go on their trip to Fenway Park in Boston and Nick plans to talk to Scotty about something big that him and Sam have hopes for. But the outcome isn’t what they expect and Nick is worried about what might happen with the young boy they have come to love.

Sam’s father has a really bad turn in this book and Sam is worried that her father may not make it through this one. So as she tries desperately to solve a crime she is also desperately hoping her father is able to make it through this next battle of his. She also has two of her detectives searching into a cold case that her father was never able to close in hopes that she can close it for him in case something happens to her father.

There is a lot going on in this book and Marie does a great job telling each story, and brings more of Cruz and Elin and Gonzo and Christina as well as Lindsay and Terry.

I just can’t state it enough how much I love this series

—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–
Book 5 – FATAL DECEPTION – Deceptively Awesome!!!
Nick and Sam are finally married and enjoying newlywed bliss and each day they learn even more about each other while continuing to build their lives together.
The story line is as always awesome with the death of a very high ranking officials wife and a missing baby the plot is thick and Sam and her homicide team are knee deep in it, of course with the help of an FBI agent she would rather not have to deal with and who Nick thinks is into his wife, little does Sam know one of Sam’s team members feels the same way.While Sam is dealing with this new head scratching crime, she gets involved in another incident and as typical is hurt but the outcome is “kick ass”, and Nick’s career is beginning to really heat up as he prepares for the speech of a lifetime.

Scotty comes to a decision on living with Sam and Nick and it turns their world upside down. And Sam comes to another decision regarding having a child of their own. McBride and Arnold dig back into her fathers unsolved cold case and confront Sam with what they find which brings Sam and her father together again about this topic – I wont say how that ends but as always its good.

I have read a lot of series in the past but this is by far the best, strong female & male lead detective thriller, political crime thriller, romance combination I have ever read and is by far my all time 5 star favorite. Way to go Marie – you are a Force to be reckoned with.

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I hope that my review of these 6 books has you running to Amazon.com or Barns N Nobles or where ever you go to download your ebooks. I can’t state it enough you wont be sorry for picking up Fatal Affair and not getting any house work done until you turn the last page and put down Fatal Deception.
Also if I can throw in there – make sure to join the Fatal Series group on Facebook – so you can keep up with this series. Marie even writes little bits and pieces here that don’t go into the books. It keeps Sam and Nick going for all of us who have become serious fans. https://www.facebook.com/groups/FatalSeries/
Thank you again for allowing me the pleasure of sharing my review of Marie Force & her “Fatal Series” books.
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Carrie Ann Ryan interview views Tyler & Abby from Finding Abigail

Carrie Ann: Hello Readers! I’m here today with two of my favorite people in the world so I can show them off. So, please welcome Tyler and Abby from Finding Abigail!

Tyler: Thank you for having us.

Abby: I’m so excited to be here.

Tyler: *rolls his eyes then kisses her temple* You’re always excited.

Abby: *laughs softly* Well yeah, especially after what just happened.

Carrie Ann: What just happened?

Abby: Uh, you wrote it, remember?

Carrie Ann: Oh shush, I was just trying to spoil it for the readers, but I guess I’ll just make the m read the book. Bwah ah ah ah.

Tyler: You are the devious one.

Carrie Ann: True. Okay, let’s get to some questions, shall we? Tyler, you want to explain to us why you let Abby walk around for years without you noticing her?

Tyler: *lets out a breath and pulls Abby close* Because I’m an idiot? A typical male? Because I’m not worthy of her?

Carrie Ann: *narrows eyes* That’s a good start. But I’m going to make sure Abby lets you wiggle a bit.

Abby: Oh, he wiggles. *grins*

Carrie Ann: *puts her hands over her ears* La la la la. Okay, enough of that. Now, Abby, are you really leaving Holiday? Or did you find something to make you stay?

Abby: It was never finding something to make me stay. It was finding something worth staying. And you’ll have to read and see.

Carrie Ann: You’re getting clever at this. Okay, fun questions. What’s your favorite type of candy?

Tyler & Abby: Candy Hearts!

Carrie Ann: Ew, I hate those things, but I guess that was an easy one. Hmmm….favorite position?

Abby: *blushes* I am so not telling you that.

Tyler: *grins* Oh, oh I could share some things. Remember that time in the kitchen, baby?

Abby: *covers ears* La la la la la

Carrie Ann: Oh my God, I love you two. Now, what readers might not know is that you Tyler are a cupid, what does that mean?

Tyler: That means I have a job to do other than my job as Sheriff. I have to make sure that people who could have something together get that chance.

Carrie Ann: Do you have to wear tights?

Abby: Only with me. *winks*

Carrie Ann: *laughs* Okay, I still love you both. I guess I should let y’all head out so you can do whatever it is you two do. And no, please, please, don’t give me details, we have enough of those in your book, Finding Abigail.

Hey readers, do you have any questions for me, Abby, or Tyler? We’d love to hear from you!

 

Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate – even if it’s just in her books. Happy endings are always near – even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Carrie Ann’s Redwood Pack series is an bestselling series that has made the shifter world even more real to her and has allowed the Dante’s Circle and Holiday, Montana series to be born. She’s also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers.

You can find her at:   Website | Facebook  | Goodreads | Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan

***Giveaway***

Carrie Ann is giving away a special swag pack to a lucky commenter. Be sure to leave your email address so you can win!

 

 

 

Finding Abigail

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ARe | Kobo

Tyler Cooper is the town sheriff and, in the past, had been the only person keeping Holiday steady. Though the community is now finding out that it’s town is magical, Tyler has always known it—it’s in his blood.  He has always known his fate of becoming a cupid, striking love into the hearts others, but an enemy from his past is set on keeping him from finding his own destiny—and love.

Abigail Clarke is leaving Holiday for good. She has to. After years of trying to fit in and make Tyler notice her, she’s giving up. She’s watched her friends fall in love and it’s  heartbreaking. Acknowledging that the one man she’s always loved doesn’t want her,  it’s time to move on and find her own future.

Right when the stars align and Tyler opens his eyes, his enemy is back and has his sights on Abigail. Abigail is in danger and Tyler  may be the only one to stand up to him and save her.

Warning: Contains one sexy sheriff who turns into cupid, complete with bow and arrow, the sweetest teacher you’ll ever meet who needs to find her bad girl side, and a love of candy hearts that’s sure to bring them together.

Excerpt:

How many skeins of yarn does a person need to collect before it became hoarding and not just there for a rainy day?

Abigail Clarke shook her head at her own question and started to throw various colors and textures of yarn into a canvas bag. Instead of trekking to her new place with them in tow, she’d just donate them to the Holiday Women’s Society since they knitted more than she did anyway. Dear Lord, she was twenty-two and a closet knitter. Even though she’d been living like an adult since she was fourteen, she was still a baby compared to most of her friends.

And, she was still a closet knitter.

Okay, not so much in the closet since the whole town thought she only knitted, baked, and cleaned her little house. God forbid they imagine her with a life of her own where she got to at least have some semblance of fun.

So, what if they were partially correct?

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Guest Blogger: Ashley Nemer

The words on the pages sometimes can be our freedom…even our redemption. They help us express ourselves when we have nothing else, nowhere to turn too. We get locked inside of a fictional creation, a place of safety, inspiration, excitement, love, whatever your pleasure and for those split moments the pain and suffering has vanished. That’s the beauty of literature. It’s one of the reasons that there is nothing else I’d rather do.

What is your favorite thing to read? Is it romances that sweep you away into the dream of prince charming saving the maiden? How about the murder mysteries that go unsolved page after page until the surprising twist at the end? Possibly a mixture of both if you are anything like me. Reading books like these are like watching movies in my head. And that’s the goal I have towards all writing, that my reader can SEE the words jump out of the page and swoop them into the amazing wonderment.

With Blood Purple, it allows just this – at least so I’ve been told. When Zayn and Nikole open the book in chapter one and are testing her skills as a warrior, you can see the battle in the forest, the take down brother and sister have. That sudden moment when Nikole’s dreams are shattered. It’s heart breaking and moving all at once.

My series will take you through many vast arrays of emotions; they focus on what happens between family members, not just lovers. There are times when I’m reading that I think an author might try too hard to cause drama just to fill up the pages, drama that isn’t always believable. That’s why I like the style of writing I’ve seemed to take on. There isn’t an extra need for drama; it’s all built into the dynamics of the characters and their interactions with others.

That’s also what makes me different – the characters. Often times we fall in love with characters in series and they only have one book per couple. In my world, each ‘coupling’ has equal time and equal attention in each of the books. Because that’s life, that’s reality. Just because you and your spouse go off into the sunset and get married doesn’t mean your sibling or best friend are now suddenly nonexistent. My world will always maintain all the players, every character has their say in the books and I think that helps the reader really get attached to not just the good guys but the bad guys as well.

So there is a little bit about me and why I write…now I’d like to challenge you, why do you read? Is it to escape reality and play out fantasy or is it simply for entertainment like going to the movies? Either reason, Blood Purple is for you. If you like romance, vampires and a good plot I suggest you pick it up. The stories won’t be ending with just one book and you don’t want to miss out on the adventure.

Blood Purple, ‘Cause Red is so Twilight.

*****

Blood Purple

By Ashley Nemer

In a world we think we know, live other races entirely hidden from the mortal perspective. Creatures of legend, of fable and myth, their very history and nature have allowed them to walk side by side with humans since time immemorial. They are warriors, they are hunters, and they are Algula Vampire. And in their own midst, a battle is brewing for supremacy, for dominance, that can and will affect all around them. Old hatred never dies and vengeance is a fiery sword that cuts a bloody swath.

Excerpt:

Hamza walks into the room with his guard looking at Nikole’s still body lying on the table. “Is she dead?” he questions.

“No sir, she passed out while we were in the middle of the procedure. We were doing like you instructed and burning her body with the needles when she went unconscious.  We thought it best to come get you right away.”

Hamza looks over her body, placing his fingers to her neck and feeling only a small hint of life.  His lips curve up in excitement as he anticipates what is yet to come. “Good, leave us alone.” He starts to walk around the table staring at her naked and bloodied body.

The room emptied out while Hamza continued to circle the table. He tried to decide what to do with this dead weight prisoner. Leaning over her body, he backhanded her jaw, the cracking of her bones deafening in the silence of the room. He heard her moan in agony while she slowly came to consciousness.

“Nikole, I think it would be best if you just gave me what I asked of you.  As soon as you tell me what we want to know this pain will all stop.” Taking his knife from the sheath on his belt, he placed the cold blade to her cheek. “I will cut your pretty little face apart.  Don’t think I won’t.”  Taking the tip of the blade he breaks the skin at the top of her left cheek and slowly cut lines into her face.  Droplets of blood ran down her cheek staining her flesh as he slashed her face.  Nikole’s voice is gone from all the screaming she has done and all she can do is heave a cry.  Her eyes are still forced open, not even tears can form since she can’t blink.  “Come on little Princess, just tell me where Zayn is so I can kill him. I promise this will all stop.”

 

About the Author:

Ashley is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony. They have two dogs named Toto and Doogie. They have been together for almost 8 years and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to read and has been hooked on the romance genre ever since her lifelong best friend Laura gave her “Ashes to Ashes’ by Tami Hoag to read when they were younger.

Ashley finds her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support her in life and they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life ‘Reach for the Stars’ and that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the values Ashley has and display’s came from. With her Parents always cheering her on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to conquer the world. 

Website  Blog  Facebook  Twitter 

 

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Kimberly’s review of Dream Keeper by Storm Savage

TITLE: Dream Keeper
SERIES #: Blood Bites #2
CHARACTERS: Savaant & Angel
AUTHOR: Storm Savage
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/22/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Angel’s arrival on Dunalino creates quite a stir. As Savaant’s chosen one, her blood is highly sought after for the high it delivers. Her scent has become irresistible to all men. The threat escalates when other males seek to steal a taste of her sensual blood. They long to experience the intense orgasm said to accompany a stolen blood-bite from the woman in the legend.

Let the games being. Can Angel wriggle her way out of a game of blood-bites? Will trust in her new found love be enough to save her? Or will a cunning male seal her fate before Savaant is able to find her?

REVIEW:
3.5 Stars This is the second part and I would recommend you read the first book or you will most certainly not understand this book at all. It is a short read (at 80 pages it is even shorter than book1 Dream Seeker) so it will not take long to read. The connection of the characters are palpable and they make you want to read what is going to happen.

This book had more erotic sex than book 1. And more intrigue. This series is good even though I can not explain why. The writing is not very good but I really enjoyed the books. I don’t know why it is good but I really think for a short read it will be something a fan of the paranormal would enjoy.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Interview & Giveaway with Joanne Kennedy

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to welcome Joanne Kennedy to the blog today to chat about her new book “Cowboy Tough”

Joanna, can you please share with us a little about yourself

JK: I’m a transplanted New Englander who fell in love with Wyoming on a childhood vacation. Twenty years ago I fulfilled a dream by moving West. I explored Montana and Colorado before settling in Cheyenne, Wyoming. My passions include dogs, fighter pilots, books, horses, and everything about the Wild West – especially cowboys.

Have you always wanted to be an author?
JK: Yes, but I never believed I could do it. I tried to write in my twenties, but decided I didn’t have the talent for it. As it turned out, I was just writing the wrong things! Once I tried romance, I knew I’d finally figured out what I was supposed to do with my life.

Can you share with us your typical writing day.  Is there anything you have to have while writing?
JK: I’m happy to say I can write anywhere—hotel rooms, airports, even on airplanes. All I need is my trusty laptop. I do have a great little office up in the attic, but when I’m home, I start the day at the kitchen table with e-mails and interviews and then move on to the book. I write on and off all day and most of the night, rarely making it upstairs to the office!

Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
JK: The challenging part comes about three-quarters of the way through a novel. Up to that point, I’m usually crazy in love with my characters and excited about the story, but when I get about forty pages from the end I suddenly just hate it. Everything seems wrong and I want to pile all my characters on horseback and herd them off a cliff! I’ve finally figured out that it’s a phase I have to go through to get to the end. If I just keep writing, the fear goes away, the horses turn around, and everyone, including me, lives happily ever after.

The rewarding part is hearing from readers, especially those who have taken my stories to heart and opened themselves to love because of my books. I have a sign over my desk that says “Love is a risk worth taking,” and that theme runs through every book. I love it when readers hear the message and act on it.

Can you please tell us about your latest book?
JK: Cowboy Tough begins when rodeo cowboy Mack Boyd is forced to return home to help his mother turn his family’s working cattle operation into a dude ranch. His first task is to guide a group of artists through the ranch’s beautiful backcountry. It doesn’t take him long to discover that artists are a lot harder to herd than cattle—especially since they’re led by a talented and strong-willed city girl who makes him see the ranch—and himself—in a whole new way.

How did you come up with the idea for this story?
JK: Before I became a writer, I channeled my creative urges into art. Outdoor painting workshops are very popular in the West, and the idea of a cowboy having to deal with some of the situations and personalities in the art world struck me as funny. I really love to clash cultures together, taking my stories way beyond “country boy meets city girl.” Mack and Cat see the world differently, and it’s not easy for them to find common ground.

Can you share with us your current work in progress?

JK: Oh, I’m so excited about it! I’m working on Here Comes Trouble, the first volume of my new three-book series, The Cowboys of Decker Ranch. The series follows three cowboys who grew up fending for themselves in foster homes until they were adopted by a rancher as teenagers. Their foster father taught them about love, loyalty, and family, but when they start trying to create families of their own, their troubled pasts stand in the way. I love these guys, and can’t wait to introduce them to readers.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
JK: There are so many! I read a lot, in many genres, but in romance I love I love Linda Lael Miller, Jodi Thomas, and Carolyn Brown, among others. I also adore Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Kristan Higgins, Jennifer Cruisie, and so many others I can’t list them all!

Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
JK: Definitely! I like writers whose style makes it easy for readers to forget they’re reading and get involved in the story. Writers like Cruisie and Higgins have such an easy, breezy writing style that the story just flows through you. That’s how I want my stories to feel.

Open your book to a random page and tell us what’s happening.

JK: Okay… it’s the start of Chapter 14. Cat is looking forward to her painting class’s first foray into the backcountry. She feels like everything’s finally going her way, despite all the mistakes she’s made so far—like kissing her cowboy guide on the day she arrived. She’s admiring the view and when that very same cowboy comes along and spoils her day. He’s not sure he’s willing to fulfill the ranch’s side of the contract, since all Cat’s students are either elderly and out of shape. Just when she’s about to win the argument, the oldest member of the party proves her wrong by hurtling down the hillside at top speed on an out-of-control trail horse.

What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

JK: Well, I’m way behind on my Carolyn Brown books, so I’m looking forward to Just a Cowboy and his Baby. And I can’t wait to read Jodi Thomas’s new Harmony novel, Chance of a Lifetime.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
JK: Just a big thank you for inviting me to visit, and a double dose of gratitude for my readers, who let me spend all day, everyday in a world of my own making! I love my job, and it’s the readers that make it possible.

 

COWBOY TOUGH

BY JOANNE KENENDY 

IN STORES FEBRUARY 2013

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book-a-Million | IndieBound | Chapters/Indigo | Discover a New Love | Sourcebooks

She’s hardly a cowgirl…

Cat Crendall left a successful advertising job in New York to teach art workshops in the wild west.  The Boyd Ranch is hardly her dream destination, but if the outing’s a success, the company will send her to more exotic locations.

 But once a cowboy…

Mack Boyd was in the middle of the best bronc-riding season of his life when his mother asked for help with an artists’ retreat at the ranch.  Mack might be able to ride a wild stallion to a standstill but he can’t say no to his family.

 Cat and Mack are complete opposites…but when the ranch is threatened financially, can they set aside their differences and work together?

 

A little more about Joanne: Joanne Kennedy’s lifelong fascination with Wyoming’s unique blend of past and present inspires her to write contemporary Western romances with traditional ranch settings. In 2010 she was nominated for a RITA award for One Fine Cowboy. At various times, Joanne has dabbled in horse training, chicken farming, and bridezilla wrangling at a department store wedding registry. Her fascination with literature led to careers in bookselling and writing. She lives with two dogs and a retired fighter pilot in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For more information, please visit http://joannekennedybooks.com/ and on Facebook.

 

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Kimberly’s review of A Passion For Him by Sylvia Day

TITLE: A Passion For Him
AUTHOR: Sylvia Day
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/29/13
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Miss Amelia Benbridge is ready to leave behind a past filled with heartbreak for a sensible marriage. Until temptation itself comes calling, with an invitation to seduction…

She Loved and Lost Him Once…

Amelia Benbridge and the Earl of Ware are the most anticipated match of the Season. Lord Ware is handsome, wealthy, and kind, and he understands that her love will always belong to her childhood sweetheart, Colin. When Colin died, Amelia believed she would never feel such passion again. But her primal reaction to the brooding stranger who approaches her at a masquerade, coaxing her into a moonlit minuet and a single, sensual kiss, proves otherwise…

Colin Mitchell knew a pairing between a peer’s daughter and a gypsy stable boy was impossible. Amelia’s mistaken belief in his demise afforded him the opportunity to return to her as a man of means. But time has slipped through his fingers. She is preparing to wed another, and danger prevents him from revealing the truth. Colin can only bid her a secret farewell, but he underestimates her determination to unmask her phantom admirer. A forbidden kiss leads to her ardent pursuit and a soul-scorching affair. Amelia is perfectly attuned to his every desire, every thought—and hungry for stability he can’t offer her. For deception lies at the heart of their love, waiting to drive them apart once again…

REVIEW:
I really did not enjoy this book. I couldn’t stand the fact that Colin doesn’t just tell Amelia who he is and plays the game of “come to me, I must let you go” and he sleeps with other women while he is supposedly so in love with Amelia. Colin did nothing for me and I really couldn’t care less if he had stayed away from Amelia. In fact I like Ware much better than Colin.

Amelia is just too much of a contradiction in how she is written. She is supposedly so chaste and innocent and protected but at times she is exactly opposite. She has mourned Colin for so many years and feels that she should marry Ware because they are such good friends and yet she goes and sleeps with Colin before she even knows who he really is.

I think people will either like or dislike this book. Unfortunately I am in the dislike category.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.