Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
I’m a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five kids by immersing myself in fictional worlds.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
No, but since I never got an acceptance letter into Starfleet Academy, writing is the next best thing.
Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Oh lord, I grew up reading McCaffrey and Adams and I wanted to write because of them. These days I love Gini Koch’s Alien books and Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druidseries.
How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
Like I say – I’m a sci fi geek. I love science fiction, but it’s the characters and how they deal with the wonders and worries of exploring that “final frontier” that captures my imagination more than the technology.
Since I started writing, I’ve expanded into Steampunk, Paranormal and Urban Fantasy. Anything outside of the norm, really.
What are some of your writing rituals?
I tend to fire up the laptop as soon as the kids have gone to school. As both the laptop and I take a little while to wake up, I’ll check emails and writing forums before I do anything else. I admit to spending far more time on Twitter than is healthy.
Can you please tell us about your latest book?
Paradigm Shift is about observatory tour guide Megan Shaw who (like me) has stars in her eyes. But her science fiction becomes reality when she runs into Raul, a visitor from another world. However, Raul is on the run from his alien overlords and soon Megan finds herself fighting against a foothold situation.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
To be honest I was inspired by Gini Koch. We had a conversation on Twitter about her aliens wearing Armani and I jokingly mentioned how jeans were much more practical. The idea stuck and a couple of months later I had a novella.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I have a Paranormal Romance coming out in July called Eleanor’s Heart. I’m currently writing a follow up, with two further books planned. I also have a bazillion other WIPs in a variety of genres. I am the Queen of the Unfinished Project.
What would you be if you were not an author?
I have NO idea. Writing literally keeps me sane (though how well it does that is subjective, I suppose). Something else creative, perhaps. Or I’d have run off with Ba’al.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I have Pang’s A Sliver of Shadow, Hearne’s Tricked and Koch’s Alien Diplomacy amongst [far too many] others. I need more time. Or a clone…
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Readers can keep up to date with my latest news by following me on Twitter (@MisaBuckley), my blog (misa-buckley.blogspot.com) or my website (www.misabuckley.com)
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have the very sweet Heather Long on the blog today to talk about her newest release Once Her Man, Always Her Man.
Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel.
Can you please share with us a little about yourself
My daughter teases me that I have straydar. I love animals and we just adopted two puppies from the Humane Society, rescues from a backyard puppy mill. They are sweet little terrors and they have totally disrupted the schedule in our house, but it’s a great disruption because they brought a lot of laughter and fun with them too!
Have you always wanted to be an author?
I’ve been writing since I could remember. After my daughter was born, eleven years ago, I suddenly had some hours to fill and I wrote to keep myself company as much as to get the stories out. I write, because I can’t not write. I decided in the fourth grade that I wanted to be an author when I grew up and it’s a lot of fun to be doing that now.
Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Patricia Briggs is definitely my favorite writer. She packs so much story into every book she writes. Nalini Singh,
How did you get into writing in this specific genre? Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre?
I write in multiple genres from romantic suspense to paranormal western romance to urban fantasy, but I’ve never had the opportunity to write a military hero. I have nothing but admiration for the men and women who serve our country. When a friend suggested that I write for this line, the story that immediately came to mind was the reunion of first loves and one was a Marine. Each story then led me to the next and it was an amazing journey.
What are some of your writing rituals?
I get up early, usually between 4 and 5 every morning. I let me dogs out, make coffee, feed my cats and do any quick chores before retreating with my laptop to the garage where I am away from all distractions and I dive into writing for the next two to three hours. It’s the most perfect time of day.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
OnceHer Man, Always Her Man is the story of Luke and Rebecca, the high school sweethearts broke up when Luke left to join the Marines and dumped Rebecca. He did it in part to protect her from waiting for him. For ten years, their lives continued, but neither ever got over the other until the night they are reunited by Madame Eve at a nightclub in Dallas. The story tugged my heartstrings and made me laugh all at the same time. It’s one of those reunion stories that I always enjoyed reading when I was younger.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
I wanted to tell the story of a Marine who gave ‘everything’ at eighteen to serve his country after losing his mother and his sister during 9/11. But I wanted to take it a step further to confront who these men and women are now and what challenges they face at home and abroad.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m working on my third Forbidden Legacy novel featuring the magical triad of Fae Helcyon, Wizard Jacob and the woman they both love Cassandra Belle.
What would you be if you were not an author?
A teacher. I think I’d be teaching history or writing or English.
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Currently, Michele Bardsley’s Now or Never and the rest of Melissa Schroeder’s Harmless series — I think I have just two left to be caught up.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My Always a Marine series is very close to my heart, every single one of the Marines in these 1Night Stand’s represented the qualities of honor, duty, fidelity, courage and loyalty…I am extremely proud of them.
Want to learn more about Heather? You can find her here:
Fulfilling a favor and executing a business plan, Luke Dexter arrived at Dallas’ Sybarite Club for a one-night stand. He never imagined that in the darkened club with bluesy strains of jazz playing he’d come face to face with the woman he left behind a decade earlier.
Rebecca Rainier fell in love with Luke Dexter in high school and was crushed when he dumped her to join the Marines after 9/11. Now, waiting for a date her best friend and business partner set up, she’s unprepared when Luke walks in.
Can Luke and Rebecca bridge the pain of a decade long abandonment in one cold Texas night?
Excerpt:
Luke Dexter handed his keys over to the red corseted valet driver, gaze skimming the generous globes peeking up from the open buttons of her white shirt. The Sybarite Club offered the Dallas area generous access to every pleasure. He slipped a card out of his leather wallet and displayed it to the doorman. The doorman, a tall, lanky figure dressed in topcoat and tails exuded a sense of elegance that the club’s exclusive clientele enjoyed.
The doorman examined the card, scanned it with a small device in his palm. Luke admired the cageyness of the action. The pen scanner would be out of place with the old world atmosphere encouraged by the man’s uniform. “Good evening, Mr. Dexter. Welcome to the Sybarite Club.”
Accepting his card back, he passed through the opening doublewide doors. The gothic style doors were dark cherry, aged like a fine wine and a decorated with wood cut carvings of a man and woman engaged in cunnilingus and fellatio. The joining was subtle, the each left crying out in pleasure when the door opened, only to be joined again when the doors closed.
Amused by the door carving, he smiled as he plunged into the velvet darkness of the club’s jazz infused atmosphere. Every night featured a different style of music, but Fridays were reserved for jazz. Old world, cool smooth jazz with smoky voices, haunting guitars and lonely horns played to the soul. The doors barely closed behind him when his phone buzzed inside his breast pocket.
How did the woman know these things?
Pulling it out, he thumbed it on, a new message from Madame Evangeline of the 1Night Stand exclusive online dating service populating the screen. She’s dressed in green silk and sitting at the bar. Life doesn’t always offer a second chance…
Clicking the screen off, Luke walked down the four red-carpeted steps into the lounge proper. He’d only agreed to the dating service only to support the men in his unit putting themselves out there. The last thing he’d expected was the invitation to the Sybarite Club. His gaze roamed the room the room, coming to a halt as they fastened on a pair of to die for tan legs at the bar. The sweet length of them, one crossed over the other ended in black heels with crystals glittering around dainty feet.
A green skirt skimmed her knees. While he appreciated the legs, he studied the line of her back, curious about the rest of her. His gaze slid higher to the pile of unruly auburn hair fighting to escape a pair of matching crystal hair combs.
As though sensing his appraisal, the green cloaked mystery woman turned on the bar stool and his heart tripped.
Books-n-Kisses is pleased as punch to let our pal Joan Swan take over the blog to talk about her debut book FEVER the was released back in February 2012… If you have not read this book it is totally AMAZING!!!! Okay so enough with my mumbling here is Joan……OH WAIT!!! I know Joan is going to tell you this, but FEVER is only $3.99 right now over on
Amazon.
I find choosing a new book to read terribly difficult. There is always so much to consider: author, genre, style, mood (yours and the book’s), price, format… And so many limitations: Money, time, interest… It’s even more difficult for me to take a chance on an author whom I’ve never read before.
So, as both a debut author and an author published in trade format, I am thrilled that FEVER, my first novel, was picked up by Amazon’s Top 100 program this month. That means FEVER is sale priced at $3.99 for the month of May! Now you can try a new-to-you author (me) at very low risk! And just to reduce the risk further, I’ve added a snipit from FEVER below. If you’re interested to know what others think of FEVER, there are many in-depth reviews on Amazon to browse and the entire first chapter on my website.
For those of you who have read and enjoyed FEVER, I’d really appreciate it if you spread the word! And I’m happy to reward you for your efforts with a chance to win 1 of 3 Amazon Gift Cards! $25, $15 and $10!
Everyone can enter! All you have to do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below.
Teague set her down on the sofa in front of the fire. “Don’t move.”
He disappeared down the hall and Alyssa sat watching the fire in the hearth, wishing she could jump into it. As her body temperature rose, she shivered uncontrollably.
Teague returned with a space heater in one hand and a stack of towels in the other. After plugging in the heater and pointing it directly at Alyssa, he dropped to his knees in front of her. He pulled off her shoes and socks then tugged the jacket off her shoulders and threw it aside. Curled his fingers into the sleeves of her shirt at her wrist and pulled one arm out, then the other.
Alyssa gurgled a protest. Her arms were as stiff as tree limbs, her teeth clenched as if the hinges of her jaw were rusted shut. With one pull, her shirt came off over her head and joined the jacket on the floor.
He picked up a towel, threw it over her head and started scrubbing. Icy droplets from her hair needled her back like little knives. “S-s-s-so c-cold.”
She barely got the murmur from her mouth. Nothing was working right—not her limbs, her voice, and most definitely not her mind.
“I know. Give me a minute.” Teague slid the towel off her head, made one swipe of her back and tossed it away. “Lay down.”
She cast a sidelong look at the sofa, wanting more than anything to obey. “I c-c-can’t move.”
Teague lifted her legs and eased her back. Alyssa rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, soaking in the feel of the lush, warm corduroy fabric. Then his hands were on her again, pulling at her sweats. Before she could push his hands away, her pants were off.
“Everything has to go,” he said. “You’re soaked.”
With a simple flick of his fingers, the knot she’d tied in her pathetic excuse of a bra opened. Alyssa pulled in a surprised breath as he yanked it off. Then his hands were at her hips. A second later, her panties were gone. She found herself caught between shock and embarrassment before something soft layered over her, cocooning her in warmth. A breath of relief slipped through clenched teeth. Teague stood in front of her, bare-chested, his hands unbuttoning his jeans.
Excitement spiked in her chest, turned to heat and melted into her pelvis. “W-what are you d-d-d-doing?”
“Getting you warm as fast as possible.” He toed out of his boots and dropped his jeans.
Alyssa was too exhausted, and honestly, too interested, to look away. He was so beautiful, like a work of art she could study for endless hours. The tattoos were shadows of her imagination now, his body perfectly pristine and tan as if he spent a lot of time outdoors.
“W-w-warm w-w-water,” she said. Preferably with him in it, too.
“The water heater is ancient.” In an abrupt move, he lifted the blanket and lay on the sofa alongside her. “No warm water until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”
He pressed his body full length against hers, worked his arms around her back, laid his top leg over hers and ratcheted his body close. Alyssa sucked in a breath at the feel of him, so supremely warm, all hard muscle and soft skin.
Oh, man. Okay. This worked, too. Maybe even better.
“Jesus Christ,” he growled. “You’re a fucking ice cube.”
“S-s-stop—“
“Swearing,” he finished for her, “I know, I know.”
His hands were everywhere, sliding, rubbing. And every part of her that he touched warmed instantly, the feeling so primitive, so perfect. Alyssa pried her arms away from her chest and slid them around his back, pulling him until the flat plane of his chest pressed to hers. His warmth instantly seeped into her skin. This is just what she’d wanted a few hours ago. Now she was too damned frozen to take advantage.
“Oh, my, G-god,” she murmured against his chest. “You feel so g-good.”
She shifted closer, a leech searching for heat, and she found it when his hips aligned with hers. His erection pressed along her thigh, pumping heat through his cotton briefs and directly into Alyssa’s skin. A mixture of excitement and nervousness tangled in her throat. His arms tightened around her on an irritated groan, and he tried to shift his hips away. But with the edge of the sofa at his back, he didn’t get far.
“Stop wiggling for God’s sake. You’re going to push me off the couch.” With a kick of the blankets, he tightened the fabric around their feet then rubbed the arch of his foot over her instep and toes. And somehow managed to put space between her hips and his. “Your hands and feet are the parts I’m worried about.”
Those should be the least of his worries. He should be concerned with the craving deep in her chest, the one that made her mouth want to taste and her hands to touch. Between the moment he’d dragged her into the house and now, one vital fact she’d suspected had been confirmed: he had no plans to hurt her. She’d given him the perfect opportunity to get rid of her quickly, quietly, permanently, and without any involvement. All he’d had to do was leave her out there. Yet he’d saved her, not only from the wolves and from the elements, but ultimately, from herself.
She pried one hand from his grasp, slid it up his chest and around the back of his neck. With her face pressed between his thick pectoral muscles, Alyssa rubbed her cheek against the warmth and strength. Dragged in the scent of hotel soap lingering from his shower that morning and the his purely male and unique scent.
She hummed in pleasure. “How can you c-create so much h-heat?”
“We’ve been over this, remember?” His voice sounded thick and rough. “You know, my father, Hades, god of the fires of hell and all that?”
She would have at least snickered at that quip, only her face would crack. She wedged her other arm underneath him, trying to align every inch of her skin with his. He may not have had much room, but he managed to scoot away again.
Frustrated with both the lingering chill and his resistance, she pulled on his shoulder to roll him into her. “Hold m-me.”
“I am,” he snapped.
“Closer. I’m s-so cold.”
“Honey.” His voice dropped to a raspy growl. He slid a thigh between hers, wrapped his arm around her back and pressed their bodies together. “We can’t get a whole lot closer.”
She’d like to prove him wrong. Dammit. Only he was still resisting. And she just didn’t get it. She may not be a Swedish goddess like Hannah, but she wasn’t the Hunchback of Notre Dame, either.
She tightened her arms around him, soaking in his heat, revealing in the feel of him while the fire inside her kicked up a notch. He smelled good, he felt good, he looked good. He was the only good thing in the moment. She couldn’t look ahead, couldn’t look back, or everything fell apart. All she could do was live right now.
He wanted her, too. There had been hunger and passion of their kiss earlier in the day. There had been ownership and control in the way he touched and maneuvered her body in his arms. There had been demand and need in that thick, heavy shaft pressed against her pelvis.
Her thoughts raised her body temperature. Closing that last bit of distance between them gained more appeal by the moment.
There was no time left for second guessing herself. She knew what she wanted and she was going to reach for it.
Alyssa let her hand drift down Teague’s ribs, her fingers playing along each indentation as she kissed his chest.
He groaned, a wanton, pained, frustrated sound. His hips rocked and pressed into hers. His erection was thick and hard and so damn hot. Now this was more like it. Alyssa absorbed the deep zing of pleasure pulsing through her pelvis.
His fingers curved around her upper arm and pushed her back. His eyes skimmed her face and paused on her mouth.
Yes. Kiss me.
“What happened to that line in the sand?” he asked.
Damn you.
“What line?” She added pressure to the back of his head to bring him closer, craving the feel of his mouth.
His hand fisted in her hair. Yes. Yes. Yes. Her mouth parted in anticipation of the pressure of his lips, the swirl of his tongue.
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome Cate Masters to the blog today. To talk about her new release Dead to Rights.
Q1) Can you please share with us a little about yourself?
Happy to! I’m a Jersey girl living in gorgeous central Pennsylvania, married to my best friend Gary for most of my life. He’s the inspiration for many of my heroes. 🙂 We have three grown kids, and now three grandboys who keep me on my toes. Our home used to hold more animal species than a small zoo, but now it’s just Lily, our cattle dog/terrier and Chairman Maiow, our dictator-like cat.
Q2) Have you always wanted to be an author?
There was never any aha! moment, I’ve just always written since about age 11. I think it must be in my genes. Before I was born, my mom won an honorable mention in a writing contest, and my dad always wrote for himself. My sister’s a wonderful writer, but she concentrates on genealogy. I prefer to unleash my wild imagination and let it roam whereever it will.
Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers?
Who do you feel has influenced your writing? Wow, too many to name, really. Honestly, I have two floor-to-wall bookcases, another small bookcase in the bedroom, and now my Kindle’s packed with a few hundred stories I need to read by authors in many genres. I will say that as a teen, I fell in love with Tolkien’s world, and loved Arthurian stories, scifi and fantasy.
Q4) How did you get into writing in this specific genre?
Have you ever thought about writing in a different genre? Labels always put me off. I’m a bit of a rebel that way, I guess. I don’t think about genre when I write, I just let the story unfold. My stories range from sweet to erotic, historical to contemporary, fantasy and paranormal to mainstream.
Q5) What are some of your writing rituals?
I wish I could say I had some! I grab writing time on the run these days, mostly on weekends.
Q6) Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
Dead to Rights is a dark paranormal/urban fantasy. The plot’s somewhat complex to explain, because the heroine goes through several transformations. This particular story is not a romance, although it has some romantic tension along the lines of the TV show Bones. I’d love for you to check out the blurb, an excerpt, view the book video, Casting Call (who I imagined in these roles as I wrote) and more at: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/06/dead-to-rights-contemporary-paranormal.html
Q7) How did you come with the idea for this story?
It began with the Eternal Transit Station of the Soul, a waystation for souls to pass through after death, which led to a villain who switched souls with an unsuspecting victim, who’s left with no memory after awakening in a mental facility. With few clues to follow she then has to figure out how to get back her life, and her body. With a little help from a warrior angel. 🙂
Q8) Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I have two more novels in mind for The Goddess Connection series, to follow Dancing With the Devil and The Magic of Lavender. I have another dozen or so WIPs waiting for me. At this writing, another dark paranormal, Death Is A Bitch is in edits with Decadent, so that should be released soon, if it hasn’t been already.
Q9) What would you be if you were not an author?
Maybe a journalist, or a photographer. I would have to tell stories of some kind, if not through fiction.
Q10) What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Did I mention my Kindle’s bulging with a few hundred stories? *grins* I seriously have dozens I can’t wait to read. All I need is a clone. A few, actually.
Q11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for having me at Books-n-Kisses today. It’s been a real pleasure.
Want to learn more about Cate? You can find her here:
Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”
When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers! Friend her on Facebook or Goodreads, or email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com
Identity theft sucks. But it’s worse when someone steals your life—body included. All memory of her life before waking up in a mental facility has vanished. Or was erased. Now she has to figure out how to get it all back….
Her only hope of learning the truth lies with one man. Problem is, he’s the leader of a cult. Her only choice is to follow him into his sordid world, where a darker evil lurks.
With a little help from an archangel hellbent on revenge, she may have a chance to learn the truth. But will it force her to make the hardest decision of her life…or death?
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.
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:
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
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 MaddRiver 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…
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
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.
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.
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?
