Kaylin McFarren's Blog - Posts Tagged "psychological-thriller"
Advance Review for TWISTED THREADS - Coming Soon!
Starred Review for TWISTED THREADS from Pacific Book Review! *****
Twisted Threads is the fourth book in a thrilling series by Kaylin McFarren. This erotic psychological thriller is an exciting novel, which readers will love.
Twisted Threads tells the story of Akira, a geiko (geisha) from Kyoto, Japan who is forced to become a trained assassin by a member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. While following her target on a Caribbean cruise, Akira falls in love with a fellow passenger, Devon. After his aunt and uncle are implicated in murders that occur on the cruise ship, Akira realizes that she is in danger and she must choose between true love and her sworn duty. In this fast-paced novel that will leave readers breathless. Akira is a strong protagonist who can be a cold-blooded killer and sensitive woman in love all at once. Forming all of her complexity as a character makes her a relatable character. Also Devon is a caring love interest that is a great calming counterpart to Akira’s chaotic life. The supporting characters in the novel come from many different cultures and countries, which reflects the international essence of Twisted Threads.
McFarren’s writing adds to the depth and spice to the novel. Twisted Threads has steamy dialogue and sexy love scenes between Akira and Devon that add an erotic excitement to the novel. The book balances the love scenes with tender and romantic moments between Akira and Devon who fall in love despite the many obstacles between them.
McFarren also captures the true life of being a geiko. She writes accurately about Japanese culture, but doesn’t make Akira a stereotypical quiet Asian woman. She makes Akira a three-dimensional character who is torn between the traditional world of being a geisha or the freedom of choosing her own path. The mental toll of her violent past weighs on Akira throughout the novel exemplifying how McFarren writes effortlessly about the complicated and unglamorous world of being a geisha.
Twisted Threads would be best for readers who like psychological erotica like Fifty Shades of Grey, or readers who also like books about female assassins like Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep. This fourth book in her series stands on its own merits of character development, meaning readers don’t have to first read the prequels to understand the theme; but I believe they will certainly want to after experiencing Twisted Threads. Kaylin McFarren has written a novel with a mix of intrigue, romance and action, resulting in a story for readers wanting adventure and love all in one exhilarating book.
- Ella Vincent, Pacific Book Review
Twisted Threads
Twisted Threads is the fourth book in a thrilling series by Kaylin McFarren. This erotic psychological thriller is an exciting novel, which readers will love.
Twisted Threads tells the story of Akira, a geiko (geisha) from Kyoto, Japan who is forced to become a trained assassin by a member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. While following her target on a Caribbean cruise, Akira falls in love with a fellow passenger, Devon. After his aunt and uncle are implicated in murders that occur on the cruise ship, Akira realizes that she is in danger and she must choose between true love and her sworn duty. In this fast-paced novel that will leave readers breathless. Akira is a strong protagonist who can be a cold-blooded killer and sensitive woman in love all at once. Forming all of her complexity as a character makes her a relatable character. Also Devon is a caring love interest that is a great calming counterpart to Akira’s chaotic life. The supporting characters in the novel come from many different cultures and countries, which reflects the international essence of Twisted Threads.
McFarren’s writing adds to the depth and spice to the novel. Twisted Threads has steamy dialogue and sexy love scenes between Akira and Devon that add an erotic excitement to the novel. The book balances the love scenes with tender and romantic moments between Akira and Devon who fall in love despite the many obstacles between them.
McFarren also captures the true life of being a geiko. She writes accurately about Japanese culture, but doesn’t make Akira a stereotypical quiet Asian woman. She makes Akira a three-dimensional character who is torn between the traditional world of being a geisha or the freedom of choosing her own path. The mental toll of her violent past weighs on Akira throughout the novel exemplifying how McFarren writes effortlessly about the complicated and unglamorous world of being a geisha.
Twisted Threads would be best for readers who like psychological erotica like Fifty Shades of Grey, or readers who also like books about female assassins like Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep. This fourth book in her series stands on its own merits of character development, meaning readers don’t have to first read the prequels to understand the theme; but I believe they will certainly want to after experiencing Twisted Threads. Kaylin McFarren has written a novel with a mix of intrigue, romance and action, resulting in a story for readers wanting adventure and love all in one exhilarating book.
- Ella Vincent, Pacific Book Review
Twisted Threads
Willamette Writers Member News!
Kaylin McFarren announces the release of her new book, Twisted Threads:
Kaylin McFarren taps into her personal experiences, world travel and her inner voices to create Twisted Threads, the latest thriller in her trendy Threads series. This character-driven story, set aboard a cruise ship heading towards the Caribbean Islands, is sure to exhilarate and excite fans of mystery, action, psychological thrillers and romantic suspense.
A fierce protagonist, Akira Hamada is a beautiful Japanese geisha-turned-assassin on a mission of retaliation against the family that brutally murdered a notorious crime lord’s sister. Failure to complete her assignment will result in her own certain death.
When Akira meets Devon Lyons, she soon realizes those close to him are intricately involved in her mission. As the two become inseparable, it is obvious that nothing and no one are as they seem. With mysterious deaths mounting aboard the ship and a killer on the loose, tensions escalate to the brink of disaster. With dark secrets begging to surface, everyone involved is forced to make some difficult, life-threatening choices.
Although this book is not "officially" available in eBook and paperback format until November 20th, Twisted Threads is already receiving rave reviews from fans of the popular series. Sheri Hoyte, editor and reviewer for Reader Views says of the story, “The layers of deliciousness never ends, and the seamless writing that incorporates multiple genres into one engrossing story, truly provides non-stop action and entertainment for all tastes!”
Further accolades of McFarren’s latest release includes this statement from Ella Vincent of Pacific Book Reviews: “This fourth book in her series stands on its own merits of character development, meaning readers don’t have to first read the prequels to understand the theme; but I believe they will certainly want to after experiencing Twisted Threads.”
Congratulations to Kaylin McFarren on her new release. Visit www.kaylinmcfarren.com to find out more about her new book.
Kaylin McFarren taps into her personal experiences, world travel and her inner voices to create Twisted Threads, the latest thriller in her trendy Threads series. This character-driven story, set aboard a cruise ship heading towards the Caribbean Islands, is sure to exhilarate and excite fans of mystery, action, psychological thrillers and romantic suspense.
A fierce protagonist, Akira Hamada is a beautiful Japanese geisha-turned-assassin on a mission of retaliation against the family that brutally murdered a notorious crime lord’s sister. Failure to complete her assignment will result in her own certain death.
When Akira meets Devon Lyons, she soon realizes those close to him are intricately involved in her mission. As the two become inseparable, it is obvious that nothing and no one are as they seem. With mysterious deaths mounting aboard the ship and a killer on the loose, tensions escalate to the brink of disaster. With dark secrets begging to surface, everyone involved is forced to make some difficult, life-threatening choices.
Although this book is not "officially" available in eBook and paperback format until November 20th, Twisted Threads is already receiving rave reviews from fans of the popular series. Sheri Hoyte, editor and reviewer for Reader Views says of the story, “The layers of deliciousness never ends, and the seamless writing that incorporates multiple genres into one engrossing story, truly provides non-stop action and entertainment for all tastes!”
Further accolades of McFarren’s latest release includes this statement from Ella Vincent of Pacific Book Reviews: “This fourth book in her series stands on its own merits of character development, meaning readers don’t have to first read the prequels to understand the theme; but I believe they will certainly want to after experiencing Twisted Threads.”
Congratulations to Kaylin McFarren on her new release. Visit www.kaylinmcfarren.com to find out more about her new book.
Great review from Romantic Times Book Reviews!
Romantic Suspense
TWISTED THREADS
Kaylin McFarren
Four stars HOT!
Strong protagonists keep the suspense level high in this fourth installment in the Threads series—a story that can successfully be read as a stand-alone. A psychological drama that includes a cast of superb characters is a captivating page turner from start to finish while the vivid descriptive prose will leave readers dreaming of a Caribbean cruise. A few secretive romances are included that tie into an ending that will both surprise and nicely wrap up all the loose ends. Erotic and suspenseful, the reader is totally involved in the twisted threads that make this novel such an engaging read.
SUMMARY: Akira is a beautiful Japanese geisha who was forced to become an assassin. She has been promised that once her current assignment is completed, she will be free to live her life as she wishes. On a cruise in the Caribbean, while trying to identify the person that she has been assigned to kill, she meets Devon and they fall in love. For the first time in many years, Akira begins to dream of a life spent loving Devon and being far away from her current profession however, Devon has no idea that she is on the cruise to murder someone and that the person may be part of his own family. (CREATIVE EDGE PUBLISHING, Nov., 362 pp., $3.99)
Susan Roberts
https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Thread...
TWISTED THREADS
Kaylin McFarren
Four stars HOT!
Strong protagonists keep the suspense level high in this fourth installment in the Threads series—a story that can successfully be read as a stand-alone. A psychological drama that includes a cast of superb characters is a captivating page turner from start to finish while the vivid descriptive prose will leave readers dreaming of a Caribbean cruise. A few secretive romances are included that tie into an ending that will both surprise and nicely wrap up all the loose ends. Erotic and suspenseful, the reader is totally involved in the twisted threads that make this novel such an engaging read.
SUMMARY: Akira is a beautiful Japanese geisha who was forced to become an assassin. She has been promised that once her current assignment is completed, she will be free to live her life as she wishes. On a cruise in the Caribbean, while trying to identify the person that she has been assigned to kill, she meets Devon and they fall in love. For the first time in many years, Akira begins to dream of a life spent loving Devon and being far away from her current profession however, Devon has no idea that she is on the cruise to murder someone and that the person may be part of his own family. (CREATIVE EDGE PUBLISHING, Nov., 362 pp., $3.99)
Susan Roberts
https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Thread...
New Review for HIGH FLYING
High Flying
Kaylin McFarren
ISBN 9781091374799
Imagine an adrenaline junkie (addicted to heart-stopping challenges and potentially life-threatening activities) who discovers the lure of flying. Skylar Haines isn't just addicted to passion: she makes choices that involve cutting herself, trying to get a handle on the darkness of her past and in her soul.
When a near-miss at an air show sends her literally into a spiral, she flies outside of herself and into the past in a surprise move that changes an introduction that sounds like an exploration of bipolar disorder into a rare opportunity to change a past which has not just influenced but destroyed her life.
It should be advised that High Flying is not a 'time-slip' story, per se. Kaylin McFarren crafts a close inspection of a young woman flying on the edge of disaster, then adds a fantasy element in which Skylar has the opportunity to change everything if she accepts the greatest dare in her life.
From an unexpected friendship opportunity to new revelations about past, present, and future and the choices she has over her life and matters of the heart ("She looked down at the faded scars on her arms, reminding herself that despite everything that had happened in her life, she would never regret what she had done in the future, only the things she didn’t do in the past…when she had the chance."), this hard-hitting story begins with anger, self-destruction and responses to murder then evolves into a psychological introspection that follows Skylar to new heights of development.
She may be the last person in the world to save anyone outside of herself, but as purpose supercharges her life and lends her unprecedented strength, so Skylar discovers the paths that ultimately lead to redemption, healing, and solving a puzzle that has changed everything.
The result is a time-slip style tale that is nicely steeped in psychological introspection. High Flying is particularly highly recommended for readers who like to follow their characters on the evolutionary path towards better life choices.
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Kaylin McFarren
ISBN 9781091374799
Imagine an adrenaline junkie (addicted to heart-stopping challenges and potentially life-threatening activities) who discovers the lure of flying. Skylar Haines isn't just addicted to passion: she makes choices that involve cutting herself, trying to get a handle on the darkness of her past and in her soul.
When a near-miss at an air show sends her literally into a spiral, she flies outside of herself and into the past in a surprise move that changes an introduction that sounds like an exploration of bipolar disorder into a rare opportunity to change a past which has not just influenced but destroyed her life.
It should be advised that High Flying is not a 'time-slip' story, per se. Kaylin McFarren crafts a close inspection of a young woman flying on the edge of disaster, then adds a fantasy element in which Skylar has the opportunity to change everything if she accepts the greatest dare in her life.
From an unexpected friendship opportunity to new revelations about past, present, and future and the choices she has over her life and matters of the heart ("She looked down at the faded scars on her arms, reminding herself that despite everything that had happened in her life, she would never regret what she had done in the future, only the things she didn’t do in the past…when she had the chance."), this hard-hitting story begins with anger, self-destruction and responses to murder then evolves into a psychological introspection that follows Skylar to new heights of development.
She may be the last person in the world to save anyone outside of herself, but as purpose supercharges her life and lends her unprecedented strength, so Skylar discovers the paths that ultimately lead to redemption, healing, and solving a puzzle that has changed everything.
The result is a time-slip style tale that is nicely steeped in psychological introspection. High Flying is particularly highly recommended for readers who like to follow their characters on the evolutionary path towards better life choices.
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Another Great Review!
Title: High Flying
Author: Kaylin McFarren
Publisher: Creative Edge Publishing, LLC (2019)
ISBN-13: 9781091374799
ASIN: B07QYH3CD4
Audio: Coming soon
Website: http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com/
Rating: 5/5
Stunt-pilot, 21-year-old Skylar Haines, honed by a childhood of adversity and trauma, is ambivalent about flying eight new maneuvers for which she's had little preparation and no in-air practice.
A lot could go wrong.
Her father, a pilot, was killed in a plane crash before she was born, triggering her mother's downward spiral into a life of booze, drugs, and prostitution. When Skylar was seven, her mother died. As an orphan, Skylar fell into the system until her grandfather stepped in - no bed of roses there. Although she emerged an independent, savvy, and street-smart survivor who'd learned to fly along the way, those painful memories of her youth are always fresh in her mind.
Why had she agreed to fly in tandem with her mentor, Jake Brennen, for this performance? She might have said it was a lifelong dream. Or, that she did it out of love. Both would be true, but, of course, there is more…
Before she realizes it, she's flown into the bowels of a storm, loses radio contact with Jake, and struggles to keep her plane aloft. After a near miss with another aircraft, she regains radio contact. A stranger talks her down into a world before her time.
Skylar uses everything she knows, and everything she's learned to survive. Dylan Haines, who's not yet her father, saves her, and she becomes entangled in his life in ways that stretch the imagination. He is caught in a web of danger and deceit destined to kill him. Skylar is tempted to intervene, but knows his fate is set. Her father has to die, in order for her to live.
Like a modern-day H.G. Wells, Kaylin McFarren's High Flying, ventures boldly into the fourth dimension, where history is reimagined, and epiphanies come in three-dimensional, real time. This gritty, emotionally penetrating story, set in Nevada, that not only touches upon social concerns with roots in the past, but reaches into the future. The characters have depth and the dialogue is sparkling authenticity. Here's a story where everyone has an agenda, there are more crooks than cops, and bullets fly with abandon. In other words, a deliciously twisted sci-fi mystery with plenty of danger and romance!
*****
"In a world where love doesn't conquer all but comes pretty darn close, Kaylin McFarren delivers a sexy and riveting time travel story that does not disappoint!" - Chanticleer Reviews
Author: Kaylin McFarren
Publisher: Creative Edge Publishing, LLC (2019)
ISBN-13: 9781091374799
ASIN: B07QYH3CD4
Audio: Coming soon
Website: http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com/
Rating: 5/5
Stunt-pilot, 21-year-old Skylar Haines, honed by a childhood of adversity and trauma, is ambivalent about flying eight new maneuvers for which she's had little preparation and no in-air practice.
A lot could go wrong.
Her father, a pilot, was killed in a plane crash before she was born, triggering her mother's downward spiral into a life of booze, drugs, and prostitution. When Skylar was seven, her mother died. As an orphan, Skylar fell into the system until her grandfather stepped in - no bed of roses there. Although she emerged an independent, savvy, and street-smart survivor who'd learned to fly along the way, those painful memories of her youth are always fresh in her mind.
Why had she agreed to fly in tandem with her mentor, Jake Brennen, for this performance? She might have said it was a lifelong dream. Or, that she did it out of love. Both would be true, but, of course, there is more…
Before she realizes it, she's flown into the bowels of a storm, loses radio contact with Jake, and struggles to keep her plane aloft. After a near miss with another aircraft, she regains radio contact. A stranger talks her down into a world before her time.
Skylar uses everything she knows, and everything she's learned to survive. Dylan Haines, who's not yet her father, saves her, and she becomes entangled in his life in ways that stretch the imagination. He is caught in a web of danger and deceit destined to kill him. Skylar is tempted to intervene, but knows his fate is set. Her father has to die, in order for her to live.
Like a modern-day H.G. Wells, Kaylin McFarren's High Flying, ventures boldly into the fourth dimension, where history is reimagined, and epiphanies come in three-dimensional, real time. This gritty, emotionally penetrating story, set in Nevada, that not only touches upon social concerns with roots in the past, but reaches into the future. The characters have depth and the dialogue is sparkling authenticity. Here's a story where everyone has an agenda, there are more crooks than cops, and bullets fly with abandon. In other words, a deliciously twisted sci-fi mystery with plenty of danger and romance!
*****
"In a world where love doesn't conquer all but comes pretty darn close, Kaylin McFarren delivers a sexy and riveting time travel story that does not disappoint!" - Chanticleer Reviews
