Saturday 31 October 2015

Spotlight! In Sheep's Clothing - L.D. Beyer






Title: In Sheep’s Clothing
Author: L.D. Beyer
Release Date: August 2, 2015
Publisher: Old Stone Mill Publishing
Genre: Political Thriller
Format: Ebook/Paperback

One man holds the reins of power.
One man vows to protect him.
One man vows to destroy him.

Caught in a game of chess he didn’t know he was playing until it was too late, the President makes the only move he can, plunging Washington and the nation into chaos. Stunned and reeling, Vice President David Kendall takes the oath of office and tries to heal a nation in mourning. But what the new president doesn’t realize is that things in the White House aren’t always what they appear to be, and sometimes what looks like the best option may turn out to be the worst. When one fatal decision triggers consequences he never envisioned, President Kendall finds himself caught up in the same game that cost his predecessor his life.

Although there was nothing he could have done, Secret Service Agent Matthew Richter is haunted by the death of the man he had vowed to protect. When his girlfriend dumps him and his boss tells him that his job is on the line, he thinks his life cannot get any worse. He soon realizes how wrong he is when he finds himself fighting to save another president from the deadly forces that he has unwittingly unleashed.
This new release by L.D. Beyer is a fast-paced, action-packed political thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

AMAZON LINK: 
In Sheep's Clothing: An Action-Packed Political Thriller (Matthew Richter Thriller Series Book 1) (Volume 1)


L.D. Beyer spent over twenty-five years in the corporate world, climbing the proverbial corporate ladder. This meant a lot of time away from his family, extensive travel, a half dozen relocations, and the opportunity to live and work in Mexico for several years. In 2011 he decided it was time for a change—he was tired of moving every few years, he wanted to spend more time with his family and he wanted to chase his dream of being a writer.

LD Beyer is an avid reader and although he primarily reads Thrillers, his reading list is somewhat eclectic. He believes a few hours with a good book beats a few hours in front of the TV any day. LD Beyer lives in Michigan with his wife, three children and a dog named Tope (pronounced Toe-Pay), which he adopted in Mexico. He enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, working out and fixing just about anything that breaks in the house. With 3 kids, a dog and an aging house, he always seems to be fixing something!

For More Information
Visit L.D.s website.
Connect with L.D. on Twitter and Facebook 

Friday 30 October 2015

The Snow Globe - Jenna Nelson

By day, Sondrine Renfrew works at Cimmerian’s Curio Emporium, her aunt’s apothecary and antique shop in London, 1875. By night, she weaves fire, water, and air into both inanimate objects and living creatures. When a hooded stranger offers Sondrine a snow globe in trade for medicinal herbs, she accepts, enchanted by the castle, forest, and sea encapsulated under the glass. Her enchantment fades, however, when her deceitful aunt betroths her to one of London’s wealthiest men—a complete stranger. Determined to escape the marriage, Sondrine trades her corset for trousers and decides to run away. With one foot out the door, she falls down a veritable rabbit hole into Winterhaven, the haunting world inside the snow globe. Sondrine soon discovers her arrival in Winterhaven is no accident. There, she meets Shán, a man who broods more than the darkened sky above. Turns out Shán is not to be trusted. Not only is he the man who sold Sondrine the snow globe, he is a bounty hunter employed by the king. The beginnings of a sovereign war have been set in motion and an Immortal queen, one who uses fire as a weapon, is set on destroying Winterhaven. Because of her Elemental gifts, only Sondrine has the means to stop the queen. If Sondrine refuses the king’s request, he will behead her. If she rises to the challenge of killing the Immortal queen, her death is just as imminent. After all, an Immortal queen cannot be killed. Or can she?


REVIEW: Surprise, surprise! This fussy little book blogger picks up a fantasy novel and—gasp!—LOVES it! Nelson has masterfully taken a somewhat overtired "people get transported into a snow globe" theme and built a story that is really, really good. Snow Globe is immediately immersive, and as a reader I was quickly swept away to magical Iscaeld, which felt real enough to taste. The characters of Sondrine and Shan are well developed and the dialogue is engrossing and authentic. There is also a host of solid supporting characters that lend delightfully to the books wonderful body, and I'm having a hard time thinking of another that I'd rather have my teenage daughter read. This is a well written, thoroughly entertaining little fantasy novel.

I would like to thank both the author and Story Cartel for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: The Snow Globe



This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I may receive a commission.

Thursday 29 October 2015

Spotlight! Cado - D.T. Dyllin

Is the love of a bad man as fulfilling as that of a good man—if he’s good to you?

The fantasy for most women is the happily ever after, the white knight or the prince charming. Or maybe they imagine the hero swoops in to save them from their mundane existence. But what happens if you catch the attention of the villain instead? Tiffany aka Karma is about to find out…
Karma isn’t just a name; it’s a way of life for an exotic dancer with a taste for vigilante justice. She should have been more careful though, because her deeds haven’t gone completely unnoticed. A man who isn’t quite human, with the predilection for destruction, has set his sights on her. His brand of love is tainted…twisted, and Karma is powerless to resist.



Purchase:





D.T. Dyllin is a bestselling author who writes both paranormal and contemporary romance. Anything with a love story is her kryptonite. Her obsession with affairs-of-the-heart is what first drove her to begin twisting her own tales of scorching romance.

D.T. was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Black & Gold for life, baby!) She now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband and two spoiled German Shepherds.

Author links: 




Wednesday 28 October 2015

Spotlight! Outpost - F.T. McKinstry

Nine thousand suns ago, a race of immortal warriors came from the stars through a rare alignment and stepped onto the world of Math, a world much like their own, cradled by mountains, cold seas and tall forests. A perfect place for a backwater outpost from which to fight their ancient war. The realm they claimed came to be known as Dyrregin, Gateway of the Gods.

They call themselves the Fylking. Unseen by all save those sensitive to the Otherworld, the Fylking taught seers to build and ward over the Gate, an interdimensional portal spanning the realm like a sigil shining on the surface of the world. The Fylking’s enemies, pitiless beings who think nothing of annihilating a world to gain even a small advantage, are bent on destroying it. They succeeded once, leaving Dyrregin in abandoned desolation for a thousand suns.

Twelve centuries have passed since the Fylking returned. Dyrregin is at war. Seers are disappearing and their immortal guardians are blind, deceived by their own kind. A Gate warden with a tormented past discovers a warlock using Fylking magic to gather an army of warriors that cannot die. A King’s ranger who defends the wilds of the realm with unswerving honor is snared in a political trap that hides a sinister agenda. And a knitter touched by the gods catches the eye of a dark immortal warrior with no name and the power to summon storms.

Bound by synchronicity, forced to find allies in unlikely places, these three mortals are drawn into a maelstrom of murder, treachery, sorcery and war, fertile ground for both their personal demons and those of their immortal masters, who cast long shadows indeed. When they uncover the source of the rising darkness, they must rally to protect the Gate against a plot that will violate the balance of cosmos, destroy the Fylking and leave the world of Math in ruins.

The god they serve is as fickle as a crow.


Outpost (The Fylking, #1)



F.T. McKinstry grew up studying music and reading books. An old-school fantasy geek, she acquired a deep love for fantasy, science fiction and the esoteric, of which she was an avid reader. With a background in computer electronics and software development, she wrote and illustrated technical documentation for many years, during which time she created fantasy worlds. She is inspired by plant and animal lore, Northern European legend and mythology, fairy tales, mythical creatures, heavy metal, medieval warfare and shamanism. She also enjoys oil painting, gardening, yoga, hanging out with her cats and fishes, and being in the woods.


Tuesday 27 October 2015

Spotlight! Wonderwall - M.H. Soars

There is something magical when best friends fall in love. Liv and Sebastian used to be inseparable until circumstances beyond their control turned their fairytale romance to dust, and Liv hasn’t seen Sebastian since he walked out of her life five years before.

When she accepts an internship in London, Liv never dreams their paths might cross again. Sebastian is now a celebrity, singing in one of the world's most popular boy bands. Despite living in the same city, their worlds could not be further apart...

But when two people are destined to be together, they cannot outrun fate.



Purchase:












M. H. Soars always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.

M. H. Soars resides in Florida with her husband and baby daughter. She is currently working on the Arcadian Wars series, and the Love Me, I'm Famous series.

Author links



Monday 26 October 2015

Spotlight! Just A Thought - Jazmine Foxx




 


Title: Just a Thought
Author: Jazmine Foxx
Release Date: August 19, 2015
Publisher: Amazon Digital
Genre: Poetry
Format: Ebook


The world is a complex place. You can only understand it through the lyrical lines of spoken word poetry written by Jazmine Foxx. Her debut poetry collection is a soulful, socially conscious work that challenges your mind, harmonizes with your heart, and sings with your spirit. Her stanzas enraptures you like a modern day Lauryn Hill with the pen as her microphone spitting knowledge and dropping science on the world, the love of our lives, and the inner landscape of a young woman. Her introductory poem, “Bookshelf” is a melodic prelude that flows smoothly into the book’s first section, “Socially Incorrect.” In “Socially Incorrect” and the second section, “Relationships,” Foxx takes social and relational issues head-on like Common prophesying on the corner. Just a Thought is raw emotion and profound thought that will motivate you to either pick up a pen and capture your life in stanzas or go out and change your world.


AMAZON LINK: Just A Thought

Welcome to the NEW Please Pass the Books location!

My apologies, friends and authors, for the hasty move to our new blog site.

We were forced off of Wordpress because we just got too big, and it was a labor of love (with no small amount of blood, sweat, and tears) to pack up and resettle here.

In the transition from Wordpress to Blogger, it appears most photo content has been lost in the shuffle. I'm going to be totally honest—I simply did not have the time or energy to go back and add book cover photos to pre-October 26, 2015 posts.

But here we are and here we'll stay, and I'm excited to now be hosted by Blogger!

Happy reading!

Sunday 25 October 2015

Spotlight! The Prize Fighter and the Lady - Frederick Atwood



Handsome Englishman Marcus Southey is running from the law after an illicit affair goes wrong.

As he flees across the Scottish border, his path crosses that of fiery red headed Roberta Kyle, herself desperate to escape from the clutches of the loathsome Hamish McGheill. A partnership is born out of desperation, their mutual destination Glasgow. Along the way they meet up with a prize fighting troupe. Roberta encourages Marcus - against his better judgement - to partake in a bout. He wins and this sets him on the road to boxing success. Taking them from the slums of Glasgow to the halls of the aristocracy. Theirs is a strange relationship, at times tempestuous and at others contemptuous, layered over with an abiding care for each other.

About the Author

The 82 year old author has seen many changes in his long life. As a boy growing up in pre-war Australia, the horse and cart were still commonly used by tradesmen. Women, by and large were home makers, while the man went out and earned the daily bread. It was a time when left handed children such as himself were made to write with their right hand. Life as we now know it, came about when war was declared in 1939, bringing vast changes to our daily lives. The emancipation of women, which began in WWI, escalated during WWII. After the war he saw the industrialised nations, switch from building warships and planes, to cars, and refrigerators. He saw the landing of a man on the moon. In fact he played a part in the Apollo space probe in 1968, when he was assigned to supervise the land line link between the Carnarvon Earth Station and the facility at Tidbinbilla, situated near Canberra. He was at one time Media Liaison Officer with Telecom Australia, attending many major sporting events. Later on he was appointed Senior Traffic Officer-in-charge of Telegraphs West Australia.

As a young man Frederick was an excellent cyclist and won many major cycling events. Upon his retirement he was able to indulge his love of history with his love of writing. With a long life comes a fund of knowledge and experience of the frailties of human kind, but also the innate goodness in most people. He has put these ingredients together to produce a number of historical/drama/romance novels. Frederick and his wife of fifty four years have three children and seven grandchildren.

Links

Amazon: The Prize Fighter and the Lady

Bookpal: http://bookpal.com.au/portfolio-items/the-prize-fighter-and-the-lady/




Saturday 24 October 2015

Maple Syrup Cookbook - Ken Haedrich



In the interest of full disclosure, I must first make it known that I am a maple syrup addict. I acknowledge this and have no intention of seeking help for it. Having said this, it should come as no surprise that my heart shattered into a thousand pieces when I first moved to London and found that most people here just pour a synthetic sticky substance called Golden Syrup all over their pancakes and waffles. It is a travesty that must be fought aggressively, and I do my level best—after scouring specialty stores for real maple syrup—to show my friends of the non-North American variety what they are missing.

This cookbook makes my heart sing. As the title states, it delivers recipes that go beyond breakfast (although it does dish up heavy helpings of maple breakfast fare), and this is where the cookbook shines. The winners of the sweet-savoury meaty mains were the Maple Glazed Chicken Wings and the Maple-Mustard BBQ Sauce. I'm not a pork eater, so there was quite a lot I'm not able to try, but I will be applying the ingredients and methods of the Crispy Maple Spareribs to SOMETHING as soon as I can figure out what (beef ribs are the obvious choice, but perhaps big 'ol turkey legs?). I'm also excited to try the Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables, which will kick my usual maple-glazed carrot recipe up a notch with the addition of parsnips and turnips.

The dessert category is maple gold, and the Crème Brulee and Tawney Maple Cheesecake were standouts to me. The Spiced Maple Pears and Maple-Walnut Ice Cream were in my employ before I ever saw this book, but having new tricks for my old recipes will be fun.

The pictures are amazing, the recipes are unique enough to stand out without making you second guess their practicality, and the insight into maple production, history, and grading is a super bonus. This book would make a wonderful holiday gift alongside a beautiful bottle of high-quality syrup, and I sincerely thank Net Galley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the cookbook in exchange for my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: Maple Syrup Cookbook, 3rd Edition: Over 100 Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I may receive a commission.

Friday 23 October 2015

The House That George Built - Suzanne Slade



The House that George Built takes readers through the process of how the president’s house came to be—starting with the contest George held to choose the perfect design for this legendary landmark, all the way to President John Adams’s move into the grandiose home. Cleverly written in the familiar format of The House That Jack Built, author Suzanne Slade supplements her rhyming verse with lively conversational prose, describing how George was involved in this project from beginning to end, from selecting the location to figuring out how to get the thousands of heavy bricks to the construction site. Rebecca Bond’s watercolor illustrations help readers follow the steps to what became the White House as we know it today

This is wonderful book telling the story of how the White House came to be built. Simple enough for the younger readers it is intended for, and still interesting enough for older readers to enjoy along with their children.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which this is.

FOUR STARS

Amazon Link: The House That George Built

This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I may receive a commission.

Thursday 22 October 2015

The Women of Merryton - Jennifer Peel



Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton by Jennifer Peel takes us into the lives of Jessica and Blake Summers, a husband and wife duo experiencing a mundane turn in their thirteen-year marriage. Instead of a seven year itch, the Summers' are at a make-or-break point. As if growing apart wasn't enough of a challenge, a wrench is thrown into the spokes of their relationship when Blake drops a bomb in Jessica's lap: he has a daughter neither knew existed—and a nearly thirteen year old Maddie enters the picture. Conceived during a one night stand while on a break in their relationship, and after years of heartbreaking and fruitless attempts to produce children of their own, Jessica is forced to make the best of the hand she's been dealt. Despite the wholly consuming difficulties at hand and the odds stacked against them, the Summers find deliverance in the person they least expect.

Told in the first person, Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton by Jennifer Peel offers readers the perspective of Jessica Summers with an intelligent and well developed voice. Peel is able to tell an engaging and inspiring story that is both authentically human and entirely believable. Jessica and Blake are refreshing in the way they are genuinely portrayed, the opposite of cookie-cutter protagonists against the town, and the true antagonists to their own marriage. It is this realism that makes their story captivating, and keeps a reader furiously turning the pages. I loved that their struggles, heartbreak, and triumphs were not outside the realm of possibility and, on the contrary, will likely be relatable to those who have experienced over a decade of marriage themselves. Ultimately, it's the writing itself that takes the prize, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean, enjoyable read.

This review was written for Readers' Favorite.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton - Book One

This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I may receive a commission.

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Spotlight! Heartbound - P.I. Alltraine


Heartbound

by P.I. Alltraine

YA Fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Petyr has never found it necessary to consider the humans as anything more than distant, inferior beings–until now. They are the cause of the fatal disease that has plagued his realm, taking the lives of too many of his kind. As a future leader of a realm in peril, Petyr must find a way to resist and cure the affliction. He must enter the unfamiliar realm, appear to be an ordinary eighteen-year-old human, observe and learn.

However, things don’t exactly go according to plan. Instead of embarking single-mindedly on his sober mission, Petyr meets an 18-year-old girl who does things to his emotions that he can’t quite fathom or control. Petyr is falling in love, and he almost forgets the gravity his choices have on his entire world. Despite the risk it poses to his life and hers, he wants to know her, and he wants her to know him–and his world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

I defied my fate the moment I leapt out of my apartment’s third-story window. I landed on the pavement without a sound. In the same instant, my feet blended into the measured pace in which humans carried themselves.

Gazing up at the sky, I tried to find something to remind me of my home, of my duty. The future leader of a realm in peril cannot be overcome by irrational desires, I thought.

Thick smoke obscured the heavens so much even the brightest stars were dull and barely visible. A reminder I was trapped in this city, in this realm. Too far away from everything I knew, too restrained, too human.

Through the chaos in my mind, I captured the image of the girl with brown and dark-auburn tones in her hair, the shine that bounced from her loose curls, the depth in her hazel eyes, and even the awkward half-smile when she caught me looking at her. But the memory wasn’t enough. I needed to see her again.

I kept walking until I reached the riverbank in the heart of London. The water rippled with a disheveled mesh of gold and red, reflecting a large architectural structure. My gaze lingered on the clock tower adjacent to the building, gauging its height. A temptation to feel even a fraction of my true nature became a need in every fiber in my body. No longer able to rationalize, my muscles coiled, and I let go. Wind enveloped me with its familiar warmth as I sprang across the River Thames. I aimed to land on the lower portion of the tower, to indulge in the pleasure of my ascent. Though too fast for human eyes, each maneuver, each somersault, each back flip was slow enough for me to savor every moment of my liberation.

On a part of the roof concealed from the passersby below, I was closer to the heavens than I’d been since arriving in the city. Still, I didn’t belong here. Hundreds of lights sparkled below me, each representing a life I didn’t comprehend. Allowing myself to break free from my human façade had made me a liability to the others. For a few moments of freedom, I let myself forget the importance of my purpose here—the lives that depended on it.

Somehow, having the girl’s image in my mind brought calmness within me. One that felt permanent. One that extinguished the sense of entrapment, despite the thick layer of smoke that was still very visible to me. I held on to the calmness as I regained the confidence to face the others.

The first three chapters of Heartbound can be read online at: http://www.amazon.com/Heartbound-P-I-Alltraine-ebook/dp/B0125TOMNO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~



P.I. Alltraine is an award winning poet and author. She has won several international poetry competitions, and her poems have been published in separate anthologies.

She teaches English Language and Literature in London. She earned her degree in BA English from Queen Mary University of London, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and Master’s in Teaching at the UCL Institute of Education, University of London.

Before moving to London, she lived in the Philippines where she was ensconced in the rich culture encrusted with dark myths and enchanted tales. She draws inspiration from these in her writing. Although she has lived indifferent places and experienced different cultures, she always enjoyed the constancy of writing in her life. Her favourite authors include John Milton, Virginia Woolf and James Joyce.

http://www.pialltraine.com

http://pialltraine.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/p.i.alltraine

https://twitter.com/pialltraine

https://www.goodreads.com/pialltraine

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25766585-heartbound

https://www.pinterest.com/pialltraine/

http://www.authorsden.com/pialltraine

http://amazon.com/author/pialltraine

http://www.amazon.com/Heartbound-P-I-Alltraine-ebook/dp/B0125TOMNO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heartbound-P-I-Alltraine-ebook/dp/B0125TOMNO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1437717168&sr=8-2&keywords=heartbound

http://www.amazon.ca/Heartbound-P-I-Alltraine-ebook/dp/B0125TOMNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437717209&sr=8-1&keywords=heartbound

book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5mii9Q1TZM&index=2&list=PLzGNZUy-U7wx4tUquvzG-EDU1DeiPyT8P

unmoving’ spoken word poem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2q4JxaN1fw
P.I. Alltraine will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



Tuesday 20 October 2015

Researching Infidelity - Guest Post by Jacki Kelly

RESEARCHING INFIDELITY FOR GOING BACKWARDS


Guest Post by Jacki Kelly, author of Going Backwards

The Definition of infidelity is the action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse or other sexual partner.

In both books of the Baptiste Series there is a thread of infidelity. Writing Packed and Ready to Go and Going Backwards was much easier than I initially thought they were going to be. Usually before starting a story I have to spend several hours trolling the library shelves or the web looking for articles or opinions that pertain to my story’s theme.

For these two books I didn’t have to go very far or dig very deep for details or opinions. I’m willing to bet there isn’t an adult in the world who can’t tell you a story about infidelity. The story might be personal or it might have been a friend, a sibling, a co-worker or the couple down the street. Turn on the television on any given night and listen to what’s going on with your favorite television or reality stars, and you’ll hear a story of unfaithfulness.

There have been scores of debates on whether or not monogamy is relevant for today’s couples. I think the proper discussion is what vows are today’s couples taking. Are they vowing to love, honor and cherish until death do they part? Or are they vowing to love honor and cherish as long as it’s fun.

Being with one person for eternity may be hard for some people. It takes a level of courage and determination that not everyone possesses. But every day thousands of people stand before family, friends and clergy and make a promise they aren’t sure they can keep. If you make a promise (vow), than you need to strive to honor it. When it comes to keeping a promise, there is no wiggle room.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. I’m sure there wouldn’t be as many weddings if people were honest about their long term intentions. Imagine being at a wedding and hearing a bride or groom say –I vow to love, honor and cherish for the first few years, after that all bets are off. Who would be surprised several years from now when you hear they’re divorced, or he or she was caught cheating? Who could be mad at someone for telling the truth?

Infidelity is as old as time. It’s not going away. What we need are more people to be truthful with themselves and their partners. Don’t you agree?
Please Pass The Books would like to thank author Jacki Kelly for stopping by and talking to us about her writing process!



Jacki Kelly has been writing since her fourth grade teacher made her keep a journal for a grade. Now she does it to keep track of all the fascinating and heartbreaking moments that life throws our way. Poetry, personal essays, short stories and novels have all occupied space in her heart and her hard drive.

Jacki loves to read almost as much as she likes to write. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s walking her adorable cocker spaniel or on the golf course. Her idea of bliss is squeezing all this stuff into one day. Happy Reading!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacki-Kelly/131421120280658

http://twitter.com/#!/JackiKellyBooks

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7057294.Jacki_Kelly





The tentacles of infidelity are insidious, running long and deep and destroying everything they touch along the way. Crystal Davis can’t shake the images and whispered conversations she overheard as a child as her parent’s relationship fell apart. As a married woman she finds herself walking in the footsteps she abhors. But once on that path, getting off is not easy and to set her life right may cost her more than she ever imagined.

Amazon Link: Going Backwards (The Baptiste Family Book 2)

Excerpt:

I couldn’t hold back the tears. I needed to be strong, rattle off some supporting clichés I’d picked up from some sitcom I’d watched on television - everything is going to turn out okay, this is not the end of the world, a lump doesn’t mean cancer. But I had nothing meaningful to say. I should have gathered her in my arms, stroked her back and let her cry on my shoulder if that’s what she needed.

I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t breathe.
I was frozen.
Jacki Kelly will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win HERE!


Monday 19 October 2015

Spotlight! The Butterfly Code - Sue Wyshynski







My friends say Hunter Cayman’s dangerous. 
They say he's a threat to everyone in town. 
I’m not so sure.
As he stands before me in this crowded club with the lights shining around us, I catch something good under Hunter’s dark facade. Something decent and profound.
I don’t know who or what to believe.
But I will find out the truth.


Aeris Thorne is expecting a restful vacation in the remote town of Deep Cove. But on a stormy night, she meets the alluring and mysterious Hunter Cayman, and her life takes an exhilarating turn.

Aeris is both drawn to him and determined to find out what he’s hiding. It’s clear Hunter has found success with the high-security lab on his vast estate. But what Aeris doesn’t know is that he’s tormented by a secret: the truth behind his research.

As he and Aeris are drawn together, the walls he’s built to protect himself threaten to crumble. At the same time, she begins to wonder if she’s found the key to unraveling her own tragic past. When Aeris’s life is threatened, Hunter is forced to make an impossible decision about her future—one that could change everything.








Purchase:










Sue Wyshynski's writing style has been described as immersive, emotional, and action-packed.

According to Sue, "Writers must do more than write; they must try to speak to the hearts of the world."

The Butterfly Code, coming this fall, is Sue's first New Adult romantic suspense.

Sue wants to connect with you.
@suewyshynski
facebook.com/authorsuewyshynski
www.suewyshynski.com




Sunday 18 October 2015

West: Journey Across the Plains - David S. Larson



West: Journey Across the Plains by David S. Larson is about the 1849 migration of the Jennings family to San Francisco, California from their home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Written in the form of both letters and accounts from Mr. Jennings' journal, we get to know this family of six from a first-hand perspective on their harrowing and heartbreaking—albeit genuinely inspiring—westward crossing. When a fever leaves seventeen-year old Sarah Jennings without any hope for survival, the family presses forward without their oldest child. However, a miraculous recovery is made and Sarah is forced to press forward herself when faced with the grim realism of survival beyond the infirmity that separates her from her family. Ultimately, the journey is a test of endurance and hope for the family as a whole, as they struggle to find themselves both together and apart in the ubiquitous search for their dreams out west.

Not generally one to enjoy reading stories told in the form of letters and journal entries, West: Journey Across the Plains was a refreshing change to pick up that immediately drew me in. I believe it is the first-person perspective and the way the story is structured that allows for the level of storytelling David Larson is able to bring to the pages. West: Journey Across the Plains is fast-paced and rapidly immersive with both its grit and unapologetic representation of the time. This is a no-holds-barred account based on the author's research of the real Jennings family, and Larson does not scruple in maintaining an authentic tone to the voice of this pioneering family and their experiences, also bringing to life the plight of so many others who struggled—and both faltered and triumphed—in the same vein.

This review was written for Readers' Favorite.

FIVE STARS

Amazon Link: West: Journey Across the Plains

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Saturday 17 October 2015

One Thousand White Women - Jim Fergus



One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

REVIEW:  I think this book might have been so much better without all the cliches. It's unnecessary for accents to be prominent throughout the entire text of a novel, and it becomes really grating. An injection here and there is fine, but when the whole dialogue is in accented English, it is an all too easy way for an author to circumvent layering the characters enough where we can hear their voices without their accents being written phonetically. Additionally, red-headed and fiery Irish ladies, a hefty Eastern European, and an African-American who just so happens to marry a black Indian...it's just too much pandering to stereotypes.

The fictional premise was fantastic, but the book is ultimately let down by its prose. Still, it's entertaining and I have recommended it to other readers.

THREE STARS

Amazon Link: One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd

This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the Amazon link and buy the book, I may receive a commission.

Friday 16 October 2015

Spotlight! Black Diamonds - Vogue


Black Diamonds

by Vogue

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GENRE: Urban Fiction, Mystery & Detective
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BLURB:

Within the last year, acclaimed fashion designer, Carmen Davenport, has witnessed the ups and downs of being romantically linked to one of New York’s most prominent men. On the heel of her engagement to Jay Santiago, a Puerto Rican businessman, she learns her oldest daughter has been kidnapped. A direct result of an ongoing war between her fiancé and a disgruntled drug kingpin, Carmen becomes determined to put an official end to the conflict.

She sets out to track down her daughter only to be met with unforeseen obstacles. A criminal investigation, led by her soon-to-be ex-husband, Michael Kane, leaves her fiancé behind bars. Due to Jay’s incarceration, Carmen is placed in the care of his estranged cousin, Gully. He constantly reminds Carmen of the price of fame, ultimately forcing her to take matters in her own hands. Determined to bring her daughter to safety, she takes a no holds barred approach to ensure her daughter’s return.
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Excerpt:

Kane’s eyes became outstretched at the news. “Who’s behind this, Carmen?” he barked. “I know you know. You’re not going to sit up here and say my daughter has been kidnapped and not give me a suspect. I bet…” Kane paused. “Forget it, I’ll find out when I get to Georgia.” Kane looked in his rearview mirror. When he saw the way was clear, he moved to the left lane so he could make a turn. “I’m on my way home. If you hear anything from the detective, let me know. Have you heard from Akaila?”

Yeah, she should be here in an hour. Her flight left early this morning. I haven’t talked to King yet. Jay said he was going to call him so we’ll see.”

Well, sit tight. Where do you want me to meet you?”

Kane waited until Carmen said Tiara’s house before he hung up the phone. Still downtown, he stopped at a red light, wondering where the quickest shortcut was to his house. He thought to turn on 47th until a figure crossing the street caught his eye. Even from where he was sitting, he could make out Jean’s legs. He stared at her as she walked, noticing the black pencil skirt she wore and the crisp white button-up that hugged her chest. She had paired it with a red clutch and black Christian Louboutin platforms. “Something is up with this chick,” he muttered, thinking about the price. Well over nine hundred dollars, Kane knew her job in Miami had to pay well for her lifestyle to follow her to New York. Though he was itching to talk to her, he knew he couldn’t. With his daughter missing and an unclear amount of evidence on the table, finding his flesh and blood was now his main goal. Anything other than that was miniscule.
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Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Vogue’s journey through the world of creative writing first began in middle school with poetry and songwriting. While the mix of rhythm and words was the initial passage to self-expression, it was the discovery of prose that opened the door to a world of endless possibilities. An avid reader of Urban Fiction, Vogue felt the need to create literary works that had an equal balance of street lit, drama, romance, and faith-based undertones.

A graduate of Winthrop University (Rock Hill, S.C.), possessing a bachelor’s degree in social work, Vogue, first birthed the idea of The Diamond Collection in the halls of her alma mater. In 2003, she put pen to paper and thus was created, Diamonds In The Rough, part one of The Diamond Collection series.

By 2010, Vogue had written drafts of the entire ten book series and in June of 2010, Diamonds In The Rough, was published for her to share with the rest of the world. Soon followed by Diamonds Are Forever in October of 2010 and The Ace of Diamonds in February of 2013, Vogue joined the league of other writers, determined to make her mark in the literary world.

Still writing, Vogue released the fourth book in the series, Black Diamonds, on July 4, 2015. She is currently working on Diamonds N’ Roses, the fifth installment of the series.

Website: www.simplyvogue.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SimplyVogue

Twitter: https://twitter.com/simplyvogue_b

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marilyn_monrho1922/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamonds-Diamond-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B010RR3EQM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1439774053&sr=1-1&keywords=black+diamonds+by+vogue

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-diamonds-vogue/1122244115?ean=2940150793149
Vogue will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


BBT_TourBanner_BlackDiamonds

Thursday 15 October 2015

Spotlight! Merry Mary - Ashley Farley

MerryMary

 








A young woman longing for a child stumbles upon a Christmas miracle.

Investigative journalist Scottie Darden is photographing the homeless for her Lost Souls series when she makes a discovery that could change her life forever. Under a makeshift tent in subzero temperatures in a downtown city park, she finds a woman’s dead body with her infant child. Without her cell phone to call for help, Scottie makes the split-second decision to take the baby home. Her initial instinct is to provide the baby with food and shelter until her family can be located. But as her fondness for the baby grows, she finds herself facing a life on the run or worse—prison time for abduction.

Curl up with Merry Mary this holiday season. A heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need.












Purchase:








Ashley






Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

HER SISTER'S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women's novel that proves the healing power of family.

Look for MERRY MARY this holiday season, a heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need.





Author links:










Ashey Farley is giving away a $75 Amazon gift card! Enter to win HERE !