Courtney Farrell's Blog
September 12, 2013
Enhanced, by Courtney Farrell
I’ve enjoyed posting promos for newly released novels, but this one is especially exciting, because the book is mine! I am proud to introduce Enhanced, my first novel.
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Michelle was born into the Institute’s eugenics program, where doctors breed people like livestock. One powerful man decides which children grow up, and which disappear. Culls are dumped in the slum outside Institute walls, and those kids never come back. Michelle has survived every purge, and she’s about to win a luxurious life as a breeder. When her brother and her boyfriend are both mysteriously culled, despite their high scores, she goes over the wall to find them. Alone in the ghetto, she’s in trouble until handsome, streetwise Dillon stakes a claim to her. She’s mortified because the Enhanced see Norms as little more than animals. But the doctor is using the missing boys in a twisted experiment, and she needs Dillon’s help to stop him. Michelle must rescue the boys, but a plague is spreading, the doctor is after her, and Dillon isn’t thrilled to help her find her lost boyfriend.
Excerpt 1:
A creaking sound came from outside, and Michelle realized that was the noise that woke her. She lay still, listening. Another creak raised goose bumps that tingled their way down her spine, and then a man’s heavy boots thudded slowly across the balcony. A shadow ghosted past the draperies. It’s a robbery. Some crazy Norm snuck over the wall, looking for valuables. Or worse, girls.
Michelle pushed off the covers and got out of bed as quietly as she could, suddenly aware of the ridiculously low cut neckline on her sheer thigh-length nightgown. Buying her first sexy nightie had seemed fun at the time. Now it was just another stupid thing to add to the list. Terror made her heart thud, but she forced her feet to carry her across her bedroom to the double doors that opened onto her private balcony.
A spark of anger caught fire in her chest and burned there. Filthy Norm. How dare you? In the dark, her hands balled into fists. Three steps to the door. Two. The night breeze toyed with the hem of her gown, but she ignored it. One. Michelle reached for the latch, her body tense, ready to run or fight. The door suddenly flew open in her face and the intruder’s huge shoulders filled the doorway, blocking the faint moonlight. In her shock, Michelle forgot to scream.
“Michelle,” a deep voice hissed.
It took a heartbeat for her to recognize him. “Brian! What are you doing here?”
“Shhh.” In a stride he closed the distance between them and placed a finger softly on her lips. His arm slid around her waist and pulled her to him. She felt tiny beside him. His big hand wrapped halfway around her waist.
“Sorry I scared you. I…I just needed to talk to someone.”
“Someone.” Michelle repeated frostily. “At two in the morning.”
“You, I mean. You.” Brian’s voice was hoarse with pain. “Things have been so awful lately…”
His agonized tone melted Michelle’s heart, so she reached up with both hands to touch his face. The stubble under her fingers made him feel like a stranger. Even his scent smelled musky and foreign, but it sent heat down her body to the core.
“Okay, but we have to be quiet so we don’t wake my father.” Michelle took Brian’s hand and pulled him outside onto the balcony, where two chairs and a little round table stood beside her cushioned recliner. Brian surprised her by taking her in his arms and lifting her a few inches off her toes. When he sat down on the recliner, he brought her with him, so she ended up straddling his lap in her white lace panties. Michelle flushed, completely distracted by the feeling of his body beneath her. With an effort, she put both hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “So, you came here to talk?”
“Yeah, but you look amazing,” Brian rumbled, pulling her into a kiss.
A moment later, he stood up, still holding her, and turned around to set her down lightly on the cushion. When he turned his back to stare into the darkened grounds of the estate, Michelle leaned back with a sigh. Damn. He really did come here to talk.
“What’s wrong, Brian?”
He flopped face down on the recliner beside her, nuzzling her neck lightly with his lips. “Nothing. Everything.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Michelle whispered.
Brian rolled over onto his back and pulled her head onto his shoulder. One of his hands twined with hers. “I wish we could connect like we did before.”
Michelle smiled. “I think you have to be born with the gene for that to work.”
Brian squeezed her hand a little harder before he gave up and ran his fingers down her bare arm instead. Michelle gasped a little when he pulled up the white nightgown to stroke her sleek flank.
“Sorry,” Brian murmured, taking his hand away. “I forget how young you are.”
“Don’t. I mean do, forget it, please.”
He kissed her again, but then stopped and stared into space. “You know, I fought so hard just to survive here.”
“Survive?” Michelle repeated apprehensively.
“You know. Beat the tests,” Brian said bitterly. His great chest heaved under her hand as he took a deep breath. “I made it, Michelle, and nothing changed. They didn’t even mark the event. You’d think they’d be like, hey, Brian, you made it to eighteen without getting culled, you can relax now. But we’re all still here, still being tested, still trying to hang on.” He buried his face in her curls. “When does it end?”
“I don’t know, Brian. I don’t know.”
Michelle held him in her arms and stroked his back until he left her in the gray light of dawn.
Excerpt 2:
“The game is every man for himself,” Salomon announced. “Your objective is to be the first to push the large black button on the south wall of the gym. You will be timed. Certain, eh-hmm, difficulties may impede your progress. That is all. You may begin.”
Younger boys surged forward, but stopped when they saw that none of the older ones were rushing in. “Difficulties!” Brian reminded them, putting a hand on Nick’s chest to keep him from charging in there like an idiot. “That means a trap. There’s always a trap.”
“More than one, usually,” Seth added grimly. “These tests aren’t all physical, they test your problem-solving capacity too.”
The boys fidgeted uncertainly at the boundary, peering in but carefully staying outside the white painted line on the floor. The smallest ones looked sick with apprehension. Tests turned nasty once kids turned thirteen, and this would be their first hard one. Deaths during tests were rare, but they did happen, especially among the youngsters.
“Who wants to run in there and spring it for us?” Brian grinned. No one did. He bent to yank his shoes off, muttering to himself, “He had his off.” A few other kids followed suit.
“Where’s the big black button?” Nick demanded, hopping up and down to get a better look. “I don’t see it!”
“Neither do we.” Brian grabbed the wiry kid and hoisted him up for a better view. Nick grabbed a wad of Brian’s hair and nimbly stood up on the bigger boy’s shoulders. He hadn’t taken off his shoes.
“Ow, Nick, that hurts.”
“I see the button!” Nick shouted, leaning dangerously to one side to look between poles. “It’s way up high! Too high, and too far from the next pole.” The kid swayed and deftly hopped down before falling. “I don’t see how anyone’s going to reach it.”
The doctor touched a finger to his glowing bracelet and his platform rose, carrying him up and away. His high laugh echoed back from somewhere near the ceiling. “Bonus points to Nicholas Arnold, for being the first person to pose the right question. And the clock is ticking.”
“Go!” Guys in the back began to push. “We’re being timed!”
“Fine, go.” Brian stepped aside and let an eager eighteen-year-old shove his way in. The muscular black boy put one tennis shoe over the line and the green lights on his bracelet began to move in a swirling pattern around and around his wrist.
“Look!” The boy held up his arm.
“Dhorian, you’re on!” Seth bellowed. “Go!”
Dhorian hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed the line that hung off the nearest pole. He began to climb. Boys held their breath, leaning in to see what would happen. Nothing did. For a long moment everything was still, and then a shout came from above. “I made it! I’m up!”
A stampede began as boys surged across the line. Some became entangled in the foam bushes. Those turned out to be horribly sticky, and getting through them was nearly impossible. A few guys made it to poles and began to climb. Seth, Brian, and Todd waited behind the white line. “Let ‘em trigger it for us,” Todd breathed, but nothing happened.
Simultaneously, their three bracelets made warning beeps and the lights turned orange. “Aw, hell, we’re out of time!” Brian exclaimed, and waded into the foam forest with his friends. Behind them, the wall slid shut, leaving the room in sudden darkness.
Author Information:
Courtney Farrell was once a molecular biologist, but her daydreaming habit destroyed a lot of experiments. Writing down the movies behind her eyes was more fun than lab work. Courtney is the author of fourteen nonfiction books for young people, mostly on social and environmental topics. She lives with her family on a Colorado ranch where they support a barn full of freeloading animals, including a fat draft horse and a bunch of crazy chickens. Enhanced is her first novel.
Blog www.courtneyfarrell.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Courtney-Farrell/405475149467821
Twitter https://twitter.com/CAFarrell
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7894049-courtney-farrell
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JPBU6S
July 17, 2013
HOW YOU LEAVE TEXAS By Alana Cash
HOW YOU LEAVE TEXAS
By
Alana Cash
Alana will be awarding a screen printed camisole (What Happens in the Bedroom Stays in the Bedroom) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as a screen printed Brass Nuts t-shirt to another commenter. Also, everyone who reviews the book will receive their choice of a camisole or T-shirt!
To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and comment at all the stops. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/05/virtual-book-tour-how-you-leave-texas.html
BLURB:
How You Leave Texas is a volume of three short stories and a novella about four young women who leave Midland, Austin, Fort Worth and Mayville, Texas for New York, California, Jakarta, and in one instance, jail. They seek escape from boredom and sorrow and find it. The stories are hilarious, tragic, revelatory.
EXCERPT: from the short story Camille’s Net Worth
She was late to work at Fastbinder’s Mortgage Company, and when she arrived, the atmosphere in the office felt charged. Something was up. The top managers were in an unscheduled conference call and no one knew why. No one was working, so Camille called her mother to thank her for the flowers that were already sitting on her desk.
“What do you and Walker have planned for tonight?” Elaine Morgan asked her daughter.
Camille explained about the dinner.
“What is he getting you as a gift?”
“I don’t know, Mom. I’ve looked everywhere.”
“Well, have a wonderful time, honey,” her mom said.
It was ten o’clock when Camille got off the phone. The accounting department surprised her with a birthday cake, sang to her, and gave her the card they had all signed. Five minutes later, the managers were out of their meeting and everyone got canned by one loud announcement from the District Manager.
“We’re sorry to have to tell you that you are all let go.” That is all that Camille would ever clearly remember.
The mortgage company was belly-up. Those few employees who were retained were being transferred to the Las Vegas branch. Everyone was in shock and had no time to express outrage or disappointment because they were told to pack up all of their personal belongings and exit the building immediately. Camille took the elevator down the four floors, amid grumblings from secretaries and mortgage brokers. What about our benefits? I didn’t take all my vacation this year. Someone ought to blow up the building. I stole a printer.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Alana Cash is an adventurer. She’s trekked alone through war-torn Serbia and has slept in a KGB interrogation room in Prague. She’s been to a gypsy fair in rural England, a bullfight in Laredo, and parasailing in Acapulco. She’s been inside the New York Stock Exchange and eaten in J. Pierpont Morgan’s home dining room. She’s gone on a ride-along in a New York City patrol car and kissed a man inside the Norman Bates Psycho house at Universal Studios. She’s been a lifeguard, legal secretary, accountant, writer, teacher, filmmaker and artist.
Her experiences are inspiration for her work as an acclaimed writer and filmmaker.
She was one of 60 US teachers profiled on the PBS series, “A Writer’s Exchange,” for her talent as a teacher at the University of Texas Informal Classes – many of her students published and won writing awards
Her feature film, “Tom’s Wife,” based on her novel of the same name, won awards all over the world
Her documentary “Anna Freud: Under Analysis,” part of documentary trilogy on women in science, was translated into German for broadcast in Austria, Germany & Switzerland
July 15, 2013
Dreaming of Laughing Hawk, by Linda Katmarian
Dreaming of Laughing Hawk
by Linda Katmarian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linda will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and comment at all the stops. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/05/virtual-nbtm-tour-dreaming-of-laughing.html
BLURB:
In 1964 Elizabeth Leigh is looking forward to college, escape from her unhappy home, and the fulfillment of her dreams. Adventure. Love. Her place in the sun. On a restless afternoon, she leaves school early and discovers her mother is packing to run off with a lover, abandoning Elizabeth and her stepfather. Worse, she learns her mother has squandered the college money her grandfather left her.
A fortuitous invitation from her cousin Melina to come to Los Angeles rescues her from an uncertain future. In Los Angeles, Elizabeth finds security in the embrace of her aunt’s family and is introduced to the man who soon becomes her fiancé, Collin Greenslade, an ambitious, up-and-coming real estate developer. Life could not be more perfect.
When her cousin’s boyfriend, a civil rights activist, has his Thunderbird vandalized in Mississippi, he enlists his roommate, Mark Laughing Hawk, to tow his car back home. Melina insists that she and Elizabeth should come along for the ride, but what starts as a fun romp across the country becomes a journey of the soul that complicates love and endangers lives.
Dreaming of Laughing Hawk explores the desire for love, power, and sense of purpose and the lengths we will go to attain them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Collin
Collin walked down the front steps toward the driveway and glanced over his shoulder at the house. A sacrifice by someone who had failed to perform his crime perfectly, he thought. The house had been payment to his father for legal services, and it was a constant reminder that C.J. Greenslade exacted his own special justice. No matter how the verdict fell, C.J. saw that justice was served—if a guilty client did not do time, he paid dearly for his ticket to freedom. The house’s taint of guilt did not trouble Collin so much as the thought that his father had given him this house and he had accepted it. For a long time he had taken his father’s generosity for granted, had expected it as a birthright, but lately he had concluded that this all came to him with a hidden price tag.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Writing Life
Thanks for the opportunity to share a blog post with your readers. I thought I would talk a little about the writing process. These are the things that are important for me as a writer to keep in the front of my brain when creating a story. They are important because they are also important to readers. I try my best to adhere to these rules.
Always keep the story moving at a good pace. I don’t want to be bored and neither does the reader by wordy passages and dull dialog.
Allow characters to be real and to be themselves. Don’t try to make the world better for them. You’re not their mother. You’re their creator and you should give them free will. Avoid cardboard characters.
Dialog is shorthand, the illusion of speech. Recording actual speech is boring. Speech must have tension. It is there for a purpose—to illustrate character, to foreshadow, to develop the story line.
Always set the stage before starting a scene. Orient yourself and the reader as to where the characters are in space and time. This doesn’t have to be lengthy, but it has to be sufficient so that readers aren’t confused.
Use all your senses. There are smells, sounds, colors, sensations, and tastes that the readers should be allowed to experience. These hold both writer and reader in the story.
Determine the voice to use for telling your story. Get this right from the beginning because you don’t want to have to rewrite it in a different voice. First person is often easier and more spontaneous, but a limited point of view. Third person can support multiple points of view but you have to always be aware of the camera angle and whose head you’re in at any given moment. Watch out for point of view shifts within a scene.
Be analytical about structure and plot. Make sure all the pieces fit together and are logical and build tension.
Take the time to choose the right words. Know when to be concise and when to be lyrical. Listen to the sound of the words when they hit the page. There’s a beat.
Get in the habit of being your own editor. Yes, you should hire a professional to do that for you, but as you go along you should also being doing that for yourself. Look for the words and phrases you tend to overuse; the words so easily misspelled; the sloppy, imprecise word structures and just plain bad grammar.
Do the research necessary for your book. Verify the facts your story is based upon.
Most important of all, tell a story and tell the truth.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Author Linda Katmarian grew up in the Midwest and graduated with a Master’s Degree in French literature from Illinois State University. She has studied under Sol Stein, prolific author and former owner of Stein & Day publishing company in New York, and Louella Nelson, an experienced romance writer and teacher of fiction writing. In 2012, after a long career as a technical writer, Linda committed herself to writing fiction full time. She lives in Southern California. DREAMING OF LAUGHING HAWK is her debut novel.
Author page: http://amazon.com/author/lindakatmarian
Website: http://www.lindakatmarian.com
Blog: http://www.scheherazade-thewritinglife.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LindaKatmarian
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlindakatmarian
Link to ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-of-Laughing-Hawk-ebook/dp/B00B2NWZRK/
Link to print book: http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Laughing-Hawk-Linda-Katmarian/dp/0988297205/
July 11, 2013
GOLD MANOR GHOST HOUSE, By Merry Brown
GOLD MANOR GHOST HOUSE
By
Merry Brown
One randomly drawn commenter will win a $25 Amazon gift card! To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and comment at all the stops. Tour info is here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/05/virtual-book-tour-gold-manor-ghost.html
BLURB:
Anna thought life was going to be awesome. She was right…and wrong.
Won her dream job acting in a hit TV series. Check.
Working with her best friend. Check.
The set’s haunted and she’s in the middle of a supernatural war. Uh, check?
Anna Rose Ellington is sixteen and living in Hollywood, hoping to be a star. Anna just landed a major role on Ghost House, TeenTV’s new fall drama. A show promising to be so hot, Meg Sweet (the reigning teenage diva), signed on for the lead, and Adam Lewis (international rock sensation) is a principal player.
Her dreams are falling into place until she gets on set and begins questioning her sanity. It’s true she has an unusual dream life, where once in a while her dreams literally come true. But it’s been a while. On top of her dreams not staying put in her brain, including the guy she’d been dreaming of for years, the house they’re filming in, Gold Manor, might actually be haunted. But that’s the least of her worries.
EXCERPT:
“And now for that special musical treat I was telling you about. As your dessert comes around, our very own Adam Lewis is going to play the latest single with his bandmate, Ewin, from F&L.”
Adam got up on stage and the lead singer appeared from the shadows. As he got in position, he took off his jersey, put on his leather jacket and strapped a guitar around his shoulder.
As I was saying no to the piece of fried cheesecake, my eyes rested on the pair singing, “The Only One.”
It took a moment for my brain to register what was before me. I saw clearly, but couldn’t believe. I was looking at the impossible.
On stage, playing guitar and singing back-up vocals to Ewin Larkin was Leather Jacket Guy.
Leather Jacket Guy was Adam Lewis!
My mind froze as my fork slipped out of my hand and clanged to the floor. The noise caught the attention of Adam and Ewin. In mid strum Adam stopped playing. He threw his guitar to the floor, his face filled with panic.
“Anna, get out of here now. Get Out!” he shouted.
GUEST POST by the author
July 12
Mystery
The world is filled with mystery.
The world is filled with mystery, a truth most of the Western World rejects. The West has become impoverished largely due to the bloodletting of the mysterious in favor of “cold hard facts.” We’ve replaced the divine with empirical science. This is a tragedy.
Part of this stems from the belief you can’t have science and faith. There’s science, which is on the side of truth and knowledge, or you can have faith, which is paired with ignorance, stupidity, and wish fulfillment.
This is a false dichotomy.
What does science give us? Tons! Longer life, healthier lives, smart phones, truths about the natural world. But to what end? What’s the purpose? Science can’t tell us what is important, what life is about, what we ought to do with our lives. Science is cold and detached. Science can’t love.
This is why I like to read and write in the YA paranormal genre. Do I believe in ghosts, werewolves, fairies, and vampires? I do not. But I do believe there is an unseen world, closed to the eye searching for all the worlds’ answers only under a microscope.
What matters most in this life is becoming good and the quality of our relationships. When characters come into contact with the paranormal, this serves as a catalyst to reevaluate what they previously believed important. It’s an opportunity for soul-searching, for lifting the mind from the petty to the infinite, and to think about our relationship to ourselves, others, and our communities. It often gives readers the occasion to imagine what it might be like to live for a cause that is noble, more important than consumerism and mere physical gratification.
Science has its place, but one’s point of view is lopsided, unnecessarily reductionistic, and myopic if believing science is the only authoritative voice. The life worth living recognizes the true complexity of the world.
Read on, read widely, and see the world as it really is.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Merry Brown now lives in the northwest corner of Tennessee with her husband, three boys, and Daisy the cat. She teaches philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Martin, where she counts it a great privilege and joy to introduce students to perennial questions about the nature of the universe, meaning, morality, and the human condition. Merry Brown’s love of philosophy and young adult paranormal and dystopian literature inspired her to write THE KNOWERS, the first book in the Exiled Trilogy. GOLD MANOR GOLD HOUSE is her latest YA paranormal romance book.
My contact info:
twitter: @merryebrown
Facebook: Merry Brown
Link to book: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=gold+manor+ghost+house
July 10, 2013
BLOOD DESTINY SERIES, by Helen Harper
BLOOD DESTINY SERIES
by Helen Harper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helen will award a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
BLURBS:
Bloodfire
Mackenzie Smith has always known that she was different. Growing up as the only human in a pack of rural shapeshifters will do that to you, but then couple it with some mean fighting skills and a fiery temper and you end up with a woman that few will dare to cross. However, when the only father figure in her life is brutally murdered, and the dangerous Brethren with their predatory Lord Alpha come to investigate, Mack has to not only ensure the physical safety of her adopted family by hiding her apparent humanity, she also has to seek the blood-soaked vengeance that she craves.
Bloodmagic
After escaping the claws of Corrigan, the Lord Alpha of the Brethren, Mack is trying to lead a quiet lonely life in Inverness in rural Scotland, away from anyone who might happen to be a shapeshifter. However, when she lands a job at an old bookstore owned by a mysterious elderly woman who not only has a familiar passion for herbal lore but also seems to know more than she should, Mack ends up caught in a maelstrom between the Ministry of Mages, the Fae and the Brethren.
Now she has to decide between staying hidden and facing the music, as well as confronting her real feelings for the green eyed power of Corrigan himself.
Bloodrage
Mack begins her training at the mages’ academy in the hope that, by complying, the stasis spell will be lifted from her old friend, Mrs. Alcoon. However, once there, she finds herself surrounded by unfriendly adults and petulant teenagers, the majority of whom seem determined to see her fail.
Feeling attacked on all fronts, Mack finds it harder and harder to keep a rein on her temper. Forced to attend anger management classes and deal with the predatory attentions of Corrigan, the Lord Alpha of the shapeshifter world, her emotions start to unravel. But when she comes across a familiar text within the walls of the mages’ library, which might just provide the clues she needs to unlock the secrets of her background and her dragon blood, she realises that her problems are only just beginning…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT from Bloodfire:
Forgetting that I was supposed to be keeping my head down, I scanned the ranks of the other Brethren shifters. I was curious now about what their feelings were about taking in some of their distant country bumpkin cousins. My eyes travelled down the line. There was a bored looking blonde haired woman with a stance that suggested predator –wolf perhaps – then a slight dark man who was obviously a fox judging by the calculating cunning in his eyes, then there was…uh-oh.
The next shifter was looking right at me. Green gold predatory eyes gazed into mine expressionlessly. I snapped my eyes back to the floor and stopped breathing.
I’m no-one, no-one worthy of attention, I whispered silently, trying to quash the rising panic. I couldn’t endanger the rest of the pack by being discovered. Every sinew in my body screamed but I forced myself to keep my eyes and head trained on the ground.
Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Seconds passed. Minutes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Helen Harper is an English teacher currently living abroad in Malaysia. As a long time reader of urban fantasy, she finally bit the bullet and began to develop her own series of novels.
Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland. “I always loved the escapism provided by those genres,” states Helen. “No matter how bad life gets, you can always find a route out, even if only temporarily, in the pages of a good book.”
The growth of urban fantasy fascinated her – the mix of reality and fantasy along with strong heroic female characters appealed from the very beginning, and inspired her to write her own.
Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Helen-Harper/101590660022586
Twitter: HarperFire
Amazon.com buy links:
Bloodfire
http://www.amazon.com/Bloodfire-Blood-Destiny-1-ebook/dp/B00AU43ZXK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Bloodmagic
http://www.amazon.com/Bloodmagic-Blood-Destiny-2-ebook/dp/B00AU0O00G/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
Bloodrage
July 9, 2013
Eye Spy, by Jenna Mattison
Eye Spy
by Jenna Mattison
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenna will be awarding one digital copy of Eye Spy to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop. To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and comment at all the stops. The tour dates can be found here: goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/20...
BLURB:
When Liza Radley realizes it’s cheatin’ season and no self-respecting detective’s gonna spy on her husband for the $800 and change she has hidden in a plastic soap dish, she does what any normal transplanted Georgia Peach would do–she becomes a private eye. While downing her fourth maple-glazed curbside, Liza discovers “Eye Spy”, a shop for the self-motivated sleuth in the heart of Boston. Inspiration strikes and she enters the world of Jack Parella, the owner/operator who talks like Humphrey Bogart but with a Southie accent and is more than willing to train Liza in the ways of amateur sleuthing, while simultaneously infuriating and titillating her. Though Liza starts the journey intending to rebuild her crumbling suburban life, she finds herself thrust into a fiery mystery as head of “Crimes of the Heart Detective Agency” with Parella by her side. Thus our dynamic duo is primed for their next adventure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Speak of the devil, Mr. Cocky Parella himself saunters in from the back room vigorously chomping, half a sub sandwich in hand. The moment he spots me a goofy grin crosses his face.
“Of all the spy shops in the world she had to walk into mine.” He utters this with his mouth full so it’s even more ridiculous.
I roll my eyes, of course, but I can’t help but let a small grin escape. He is a bit charming, I guess. And damn, can he fill out a pair of jeans.
Yumm.
“What’s up, doll?”
“I need some sort of listening device. Something small that I can put in a coat pocket or something.”
He eyes the ratty wig dangling from my fingers and cocks a brow.
“Oh, and I also want to return this.”
As I drop the mangled black hairball on the counter, I immediately regret my decision. Jack lets out a chuckle. I quickly grab the unsightly wig and tuck it back into my satchel.
“Umm, actually… never mind. I’m just going to keep it…for like Halloween or something.”
“Yeah, you do that. Now I can definitely help you with the audio surveillance. How much you wanna spend?”
“How much do I have to spend?” We lock eyes for a moment and he gives me that wry smirk again.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you the hot broad discount.”
Butterflies and dirty tingles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mattison started her career in Chicago appearing on television and radio. She founded founded Cheshire Smile Productions, bringing to life and penning her first feature film FISH WITHOUT A BICYCLE, a festival winning coming of age comedy which was directed by Brian Austin Green. “Fish” is now available on Netflix. Mattison also wrote Cheshire’s second release THE THIRD WISH now available at Blockbuster and distributed by the Hallmark Channel.
Lionsgate’s FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY, based on a true story of Jewish gangsters set in the 1970’s starring James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Edward Furlong and Jeffrey Tambor was also produced and written by Mattison. Most recently Jenna has written a TV movie called COMMITTED, which wrapped production this spring to premiere on television this fall. Her novel The Tree Of Jesse is a romantic religious thriller and will be released this spring, available worldwide. Mattison next novel is Eye Spy the first in a comedic romantic suspense series available this summer.
Website: http://jennamattison.net/
June 28, 2013
Drasmyr, by Matthew D. Ryan
Drasmyr
by Matthew D. Ryan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Matthew will be awarding a Reaper “Dracula” Miniature from the Dark Heaven Legends line to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US only).
To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and leave comments at all the stops. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-blurb-blitz-tour-drasmyr-by.html
BLURB:
We vampires do not make easy prey. Our weaknesses are few, our strengths many. Fear is something we do not know, and death but a distant memory. So tread softly, pray to your god, and gird yourself with silver when the moons arise and night’s dark prince awakens. We fear not the wizard, nor the warrior, neither rogue, nor priest; our strength is timeless, drawn from darkness and we know no master save the hot lust of our unending hunger. We long for blood, your blood and no blade, nor spell, nor clever artifice, can keep us long from our prize. Feel our teeth at your throat, your life ebb from you, and know as darkness comes to claim you that the price of your folly is your everlasting soul.
***
In Drisdak, the city on the Sea of Sorrows, the citizens have much to dread. Unease and foreboding have always been associated with the local wizards guild; peasants have an innate distrust of magic and those who use it. But now, something else is on the rise. A mysterious fire at the guild has left two men dead and a third missing. A small matter, you say? Well, one of those men was the guild master, and his successor wants to know what happened to him. Enter Coragan of Esperia, the renowned bounty hunter. If anyone can unravel this mess he can. But is even he prepared to challenge the horrible evil that lurks at the heart of the mystery? An ancient vampire by the name of Lucian val Drasmyr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
There’s a woman in chain mail standing across the room from me; her sword is leveled at my chest. I can smell the enchantment on the blade, it’s a strong one; maybe even strong enough to cause me harm. Still, I’m not too concerned; it’s at least a ten foot lunge and I know I move faster than she does. Indeed, she’s the one who is looking worried. My display of strength and the death of her comrade have shaken her resolve.
She’s got a pretty face, flushed with excitement but strong and in control. It is her neck that really draws me, though, so soft and inviting, filled with the warm blood I desire. The curve of her flesh glistens, waiting for a well-placed gentle kiss.
She’s breathing rapidly now, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her trek up through the castle has sapped much of her strength. And the fear she feels is naked in her eyes. Now, she’s getting ready to pounce, just a little too much tension in her stance, her eyes just a little too focused. She couldn’t give me more warning if she were to ask my permission first.
She moves in with remarkable speed, her blade striking out like a serpent’s tongue. Even winded, she still manages to cut my cape, then prances away with her back toward the wall, ready for anything. Anything, except me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Matthew D. Ryan is a published author living in upstate New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. He has a background in philosophy, mathematics, and computer science. He also has a black belt in the martial arts and studies yoga. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. He believes he saw the legendary Lake Champlain Monster (a.k.a Champy) once and he has a cat named Confucius.
Contact
Matthew D. Ryan
Author of Drasmyr: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131156
Check Out My Blog: http://www.atoasttodragons.com
email: mryan_author@yahoo.com
Links
Matthew D. Ryan can be found on the Internet at the following sites:
Author’s Smashwords Page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/matthewdryan
Author’s Book Page: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131156
Author’s Blog: http://www.atoasttodragons.com
Author’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000038781652
Author’s Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/Drasmyr
Author’s Twitter Handle: @MatthewDRyan1
June 21, 2013
Death Lies Between Us, by Jody Kessler
Death Lies Between Us, by Jody A. Kessler
Blurb
Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.
Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.
In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it.
Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?
Excerpt
I wait until she’s looking the other way and then I will myself into visible form.
Her head turns in my direction and she simultaneously jerks and screams, “Holy mother! Where did you come from?” She clutches her chest as if she’s trying to stop her heart from popping out.
I see her pulse racing under her left ear where her hair is pushed back and I like the frenzied beat of it. My own pulse quickens, although I know mine doesn’t show.
She shakes herself and apologizes, “Sorry, I didn’t see you coming.”
“Most people don’t.”
She gives me a quizzical look.
I’m not sure what propelled me to answer her that way. But then again, I’m not sure about anything I’m doing when it comes to her. Marcus, my mentor, would have something to say about this. I put that punishing image in the back of my mind and try to correct by saying, “No one’s ever called me Holy Mother before.”
Light rose creeps over her pale cheeks making me want to embarrass her again.
I try to give her a friendly smile, but it feels awkward. I look away from her warm face. “Having some difficulty?” I direct my gaze at her leg.
“Actually, yes. I’m hopelessly stuck. Do you mind? You’ll probably get all wet, but I’ve tried and tried and I think I’m making it worse. Can you believe it? What a weird thing to happen. I’m sorry, I’m rambling. I’ll shut up now.”
“That’s not necessary,” I tell her, but it’s too late. She clamps down her lips and watches me as I approach. She’s nervous, or excited, maybe both. Is it me? Does she know what I am? I don’t have time to dwell on it. I step into the water, making my physical appearance as believable as possible. It takes an enormous amount of effort to do it, but I want to act, and look, like a normal person.
“Are you ready?”
She nods.
A thick sucking sound follows and she pulls her leg free. I let the rock fall back into place with a small splash.
She hobbles away like a lame doe. “Ohhh, thank you!” she breathes out, and then eases down onto the grassy slope of the bank.
Stepping out of the creek, I watch as she takes off her wet boot and peels off her sock.
“Is your foot going to survive?”
“I’m not sure. It’s too cold to feel anything.”
“How about the rest of you?”
Author Bio
Jody A. Kessler enjoys writing paranormal novels and is a member of Pikes Peak Writers. She is a yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and a graduate from the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy. When she took an extended leave from her massage practice to stay at home with her newborn she returned to her first true passion —writing. She spends most of her time being a mother, writing, and teaching yoga, but also likes going to concerts, hiking, practicing herbal medicine, and reading anything that catches her interest. Jody lives in the mountains of Colorado with her family.
She welcomes visitors to her website www.jodyakessler.com
Buy a copy on Amazon Barnes and Noble
Or connect with her here: Facebook Goodreads Twitter Pinterest
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-lies-between-us-jody-a-kessler/1114759010?ean=9781939173171&itm=1&usri=death+lies+between+us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jody-A-Kessler/230863640353761?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodyAKessler
On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579843.Jody_A_Kessler
June 20, 2013
NO GENTLEMAN IS HE, By Carley Bauer and Lynette Willows
NO GENTLEMAN IS HE
By
Carley Bauer and Lynette Willows
There will be two winners drawn at the end of the tour. Winner 1 will receive a lovely pair of colonial era earrings (U.S. only please due to shipping constraints); Winner 2 will receive a $100 Amazon GC. To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and leave comments at all the stops. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-book-tour-no-gentleman-is-he-by.html
BLURB:
Young, adventurous and widowed in a new land, Cassandra Courtney Brooks finds her dream of raising a superior breed of saddle horse slipping away with the death of her husband. Left with four horses, living in a tavern attic, and her scant savings depleting, she resolves to see her vision through to fruition by accepting the scandalous position of steward at Varina Farms.
Born in the image of his native ancestry, Colton Rolfe’s savage blood runs through his veins. Scorned by his father, Colt grew into a man of ill temperament whose only interest is the wild equine beasts on his plantation. His desire to breed his horses with the superior Thoroughbreds of the newly widowed Cassandra Brooks leads him to abandon societal rules. Colt’s growing resentment toward the Crown and his assistance to Sons of Liberty missions is complicated by the discovery that Cassandra’s father is a titled English nobleman.
Cassandra is soon forced to question the wisdom of her decision when she finds herself enamored with her employer. As fiery passion grows between them, Cassandra realizes her own spirit of independence, love of the land, and the savage man who is so much a part of it.
As the threat of war comes ever closer, wills are tested through gunfire, treachery, danger, and kidnapping. Does Colt dare trust Cassandra with Sons of Liberty secrets? More importantly, can he trust her with his heart? And will Colt ever trust Cassandra enough to love her as she longs to be loved?
GUEST BLOG:
Canada: The Secret Player in the American Revolution
Now that my co-author and I have published “No Gentleman Is He”, the first in the Sons of Liberty series, based in Revolutionary America in the summer of 1776, I thought I would give a few details about this exciting time in history.
You must be asking why this cheeky Canadian would deign to write about American history? In this case, perhaps we are more qualified than you may suspect. My co-author, Carley Bauer, is American and fascinated with this time in history. In fact, she is the reason this book, and the ones that will follow in the series, even exist.
Unbeknownst to a lot of Americans, Canada was a pivotal player in the proceedings. Both the British and the Patriot rebels were vying for Canadian support to their respective causes. The Patriots were also hoping that the disenchanted French Canadians would bring the Iroquois Indians with them to fight the occupying British forces with the backing of France.
Incredibly, the French in Quebec decided to remain neutral. The French Canadians were offered terms laid out by the Quebec Act of 1774 which protected their religious as well as their social rights. Choosing to support Americans could jeopardize the conditions of the Act and leave them at the hands of the Americans who had previously shown resentment at the special treatment to Quebec and Upper Canada, an area the Colonialists claimed they had earned by fighting in the French and Indian Wars twenty years earlier. The Crown had also expanded the province’s area of control to the Canadiens, to take over part of the vast Indian Reserve, including much of what is now southern Ontario, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota, essentially making it Canadian territory.
The Iroquois, the largest Indian group in the Eastern section of the continent, also decided to remain aligned with Britain. They had an agreement with the Crown that settlement, as long as Britain remained the controlling Parliament, would not extend west, and that all lands west would remain Indian lands. The Iroquois knew that the colonialists were hungry for settlement, and therefore decided to fight against them to preserve their own survival.
Inevitably, it was a severe blow to the revolutionists who had not only counted on both groups for support in their cause, but had literally taken it for granted. It almost resulted in the Revolution being shut down before it had even begun.
I want to introduce our main players. First of all is Cassandra Courtney Brooks, the beautiful and fair-haired daughter of an affluent English landowner, who ran away from England to America with the estate’s stable hand, Seth Brooks, to avoid a distasteful, arranged marriage to an elderly aristocrat. A year later, Cassandra found herself a widow, with the tatters of a dream and four beautiful horses, the start of a stable of exceptional American horses, destined to be the breed of choice within a very short time. She was near desperate, and facing the loss of her late husband’s dream of equine superiority which she was determined to carry on.
Enter Colton Rolfe, descendant of the famous John Rolfe who was married to Pocahontas and started one of the first Virginia tobacco farms in America. When he meets Cassandra Brooks, he is immediately greedy for the four horses she possesses, and offers her a job as steward to his estate, against all social protocols of having a woman work in an exclusively male profession. He has full expectations that Cassandra would find the job too much for her, selling her horses to him and going back to England. But the desire to get his hands on her horses soon pales to the desire to possess their owner. How could a refined, pampered and impoverished Cassandra from a loyalist family possibly overlook Colton’s past, even if this enigmatic man haunted her dreams, aroused unfamiliar sensuality but also threatened her very existence?
“No Gentleman Is He” excerpt:
“The men exchanged information at the table while Cassandra and Abigail served food and spirits. “So, that is the mysterious Mr. Colton Rolfe,” Abigail whispered as she placed the empty bowls on the kitchen table while Mary did the washing up. “A handsome figure of a man,” she added with a mischievous tone to her voice.
Cassandra ignored her aunt’s fishing and wandered back into the dining room.
“There is more news,” Colton informed his cohorts just as Cassandra entered and sat in a chair away from the table.
“What did you learn?” Jackson asked.
“There are more redcoats than we suspected. Not only that, but the Indians are now allied with the English,” Colton said bitterly.
“Damn,” Hunter growled, his anger rising. “When the hell did this happen?”
“Months ago, apparently,” said Colton. “The tribes apparently signed a treaty with the English to fight in exchange for no settlement beyond the mountain range of Virginia. It is our damn arrogance, Stephens. We assumed the Indians would see the English as invaders, when in fact they consider us colonialists the invaders. And that is only one problem.” Colton took the glass of spirits Abigail offered, nodding with gratitude before gulping it down. He placed the tumbler on the table and continued. “On my way through the town, I also noticed plenty of ships being unloaded with supplies for the fort. A rather innocent informant told me the military ships are stocked with weapons and cannon, already unloaded on shore, along with extra troops. I think they are rallying for an offensive.”
“When?’ Jackson and Hunter asked simultaneously.”
We hope you enjoy our series, and the extensive research carefully blended with superior storytelling filled with sensuality, romance and suspense.
You can find Carley and I here; we’d love to have you visit us and chat.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynette-Willows-Carley-Bauer/278323855613717
“No Gentleman Is He” can be found at these following sites:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/179Mo7R
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/13BA5NI
Apple: http://bit.ly/10HVByB
Kobo: http://bit.ly/116Hq5Y
Nook: http://bit.ly/18c5bQu
Sony: http://bit.ly/10HVQd7
BookStrand: http://bit.ly/YUy0OK
AllRomanceBooks: http://bit.ly/14nXNji
OmniLit: http://bit.ly/14nY06l
Tirgearr Publishing: http://bit.ly/14szfmN
EXCERPT:
Jackson looked around and spotted a length of rope hanging on the wall at the opposite end of the stables. He went over and snatched it up. “Got a rope,” he said, holding it up.
“Good,” Colton murmured as he removed his coat and flung it, and his shirt, over the stall door. He took the rope from Jackson and laid it aside, knelt by the mare’s hindquarters and moved her tail aside.
Jackson followed suit, removing his coat but only loosening his shirt around his neck and rolling up his sleeves. “You will frighten the girl if you stay half naked, Colt.”
“If she is that delicate, she should not have horses. Where is the wench, anyway?”
“She has only been gone two minutes. Give her time.”
Just then, Cassandra rushed in, a bucket of water in one hand, its contents sloshing down her skirts, soaking them. She clutched a pail of grease in the other. “I could not find a rope,” she huffed, out of breath.
“We found one,” Jackson assured her.
Cassandra looked in the stall as the men worked. To Colton’s amusement, the woman suddenly flushed when she noticed the state of his undress. Apparently disturbed by her own reaction, she busied herself getting the soap from her apron pocket, almost dropping it from her noticeably shaking hand.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Lynette Willows
I’m Lynette Willows. I live in rural Alberta, Canada. My debut novel, “No Gentleman Is He”, the first in the Sons of Liberty series, is co-written along with my partner in romance, Carley Bauer.
Some have mentioned I have a very interesting past. Not only was it unusual, but some would even say reckless. I’ve lived on an Indian reserve in a teepee with my young son for three months in the winter, I’ve chased storms, and worked as a social services aide on one of the most troubled and dangerous reserves in Canada, where I met great friends as well as made a few enemies.
I enjoy camping, movies, especially historical bio dramas, strange dogs, stranger cats, exclamation points, coffee mugs with stupid sayings, friends, the crazier the better, family, as long as they are crazier than I am, and I have a huge collection of shiny, outrageous earrings. Yes, I’m a magpie. I’ll only play chess with my husband because he’ll let me win.
If you’re curious about my favorite reading material, it’s very eclectic and varied. I’m extremely picky about what I read, so check out my “to read” list on Goodreads. You can also follow me and Carley, my talented, patient, and illustrious co-author at our fan page on Facebook at “Lynette Willows & Carley Bauer”. I’m also on Twitter under @LynetteWillows, as well as Pinterest, though I’m still figuring that out. You are welcome to also visit me and chat at “Lynette Willows, Author” at http://lynettewillows.blogspot.ca/.
“I have enormous respect for the reader. They are able to take symbols from a page that an author has invented, and turn them into images in their minds that create an enduring story. If that’s not artistry, I don’t know what is.”-Lynette Willows
Carley Bauer
Carley Bauer enjoys life on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. with her husband and their blue eyed feline, Noelle. After 30 years as a state contractor in a self employed capacity, she decided to try her hand at her first love, writing.
She loves being an empty nester, free to travel with her husband. Still involved with her children and grandchildren, Carley loves big family events. Some of her other hobbies are home decor, fashion, graphic arts, and the occasional bite of the Big Apple where the excitement feeds her natural love of city life.
LINKS:
Email: carleybauer210@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carley.bauer.3
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynette-Willows-Carley-Bauer/278323855613717?ref=hl
Blog: http://fromcarleyslaptop.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarleyBauer210
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cscrawley/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6981224.Carley_Bauer
Tirgearr Publishing: http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Bauer_Carley/index.htm
No Gentleman Is He available for purchase at:
smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=No+Gentleman+Is+He+Carley+Bauer
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/No-Gentleman-Sons-Liberty-ebook/dp/B00BPY7UJO/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_62DX
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-gentleman-is-he-by-carley-bauer-and-lynette-willows-carley-bauer/1114915852?ean=2940044389540
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/no-gentleman-is-he/id617170488
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/No-Gentleman-Is-He-Carley/book-K5zSZmr2cESUwBs4vrrYBQ/page1.html
Tirgearr to Author Carley Bauer
www.tirpub.com/cbauer
Tirgearr Publishing:
http://www.tirpub.com/NGIH
June 17, 2013
Daddy’s Girl, by J.M. Kelley
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J.M. will be awarding a gift basket of some of the author’s favorite things, including a $25 gift card from Amazon and a signed copy of the Foreign Affairs anthology from Turquoise Morning Press to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
To improve your chances of winning, follow the tour and comment at all the stops. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-book-tour-daddys-girl-by-jm.html
DADDY’S GIRL
By
J.M. Kelley
BLURB:
Sometimes, returning home isn’t about confronting your past; it’s about discovering your future.
Janie McGee, the black sheep of her family, is free-spirited, uninhibited, and never one to stay in the same place for too long. When Janie learns her father, Joe, is gravely ill, she reluctantly returns home to rural Pennsylvania to care for him. Joe’s neighbor, David Harris, sports a pocket protector, collects coins, and is addicted to Antiques Roadshow. Everything about him rubs Janie the wrong way, from his nerdy wardrobe to his enviable friendship with Joe. And to make matters worse, her father thinks they’re perfect for each other, proof positive of how little Joe knows his own daughter…or so Janie thinks.
A shared devotion to the elder McGee begins to close the gulf between Janie and David, but a burgeoning romance opens the door to new problems and unexpected consequences neither could foresee. Joe, however, remains steadfast in his resolve to show Janie that Daddy knows what’s best for his little girl. Can Janie finally open her heart to David while watching the first man she ever truly loved fade away?
EXCERPT:
Before he even opened the door, David knew something was off. Late night visitors, in his experience, rarely brought good news. When the visitor turned out to be Janie, his heart leapt into his throat. “Janie,” he said when he threw open the door. “What’s wrong? Is Joe okay?”
“Yeah. He’s fine.” Relief hit him so hard he took a step back and leaned against the doorjamb.
“You scared me.”
“I didn’t mean to.” Janie rubbed her hands up and down her arms and looked over her shoulder. “It’s cold out here. Mind if I come in?”
“Oh. Right.” David gestured for Janie to enter. “Come inside.” He followed when she slid past him and walked into the living room.
“It’s late.” As if she needed to tell him. The atomic clock on the wall, a Christmas gift from his mother, showed the time at almost two in the morning. Janie stood in the middle of the room and focused her gaze on the bookcase in the corner. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“I was reading. A little too wired to sleep, I guess.” David moved up behind her and raised a tentative hand to her shoulder. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
The sound of his voice jolted her out of her thoughts and she jerked her head toward him. Her movements were stunted. Wooden. “Ever have one of those moments when you’re convinced you may float away, and no matter what you do, you can’t keep yourself grounded? And you need to hang on tight to something until the sensation passes?”
Whatever was going on, he thought, she was not in a good place. David gently spun Janie toward him and gazed at her. “Tell me what you need from me.”
Janie closed her eyes and lowered her forehead to David’s shoulder. “Ground me, David,” she whispered and laid her hand on his chest.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Three years ago, native Pennsylvanian J.M. Kelley packed her bags and moved south. Now, the wannabe Carolina Girl can’t speak a single sentence without adding the word y’all at the end of it, and regards a blast of snow flurries as a doomsday-level event. When the day job allows, and when she can pull herself away from George Takei’s Facebook fanpage, she likes to go on writing jaunts to her favorite lake, or a local coffee shop with delicious shakes and questionable Wi-Fi connections.
J.M. Kelley is a proud recipient of a Carrie McCray Memorial Literary award, and is a member of The South Carolina Writers Workshop and Romance Writers of America (PAN). Readers interested in more information may visit her website at www.jmkelleywrites.com.
LINKS:
Email: readers@jmkelleywrites.com
Website: http://www.jmkelleywrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Kelley/108021242585994
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorJMKelley
Daddy’s Girl purchase links:
Turquoise Morning Press: http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/products/daddys-girl-by-j-m-kelley
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daddys-girl-jm-kelley/1114255053?ean=2940015960969&isbn=2940015960969
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/279529
AllRomance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-daddy039sgirl-1049844-149.html
Omnilit: https://www.omnilit.com/product-daddy039sgirl-1049844-232.html?oid=19
