Kaylin McFarren's Blog - Posts Tagged "romance"
Wowzers!!
Since Armada is an avid writer and has books listed on Goodreads, I just had to share this amazing review she sent to me after reading an advance copy of Buried Threads. Now if all of my reviews were this good... :)
"If you happen to see Lara Croft, Indiana Jones, and Robert Langdon in line with food stamps, you can thank Kaylin McFarren's Buried Threads for putting them out of work. Instead meet Rachel and Chase, treasure hunting partners and lovers who are vastly unprepared for what awaits them in the perilous streets of Japan. There is no misdirection and no lucid confusion at all throughout the story as to who is good, and who is bad. Instead Kaylin McFarren brazenly lays out all her cards - but the brilliance of Buried Threads lies in the cards Ms. McFarren has hidden up her sleeve.
Although the novel is told through rotating points of view, giving you a perfect 360 of what is going on, Rachel stood out as the true protagonist as she arrives in Japan to join her boyfriend and fellow treasure hunter, Chase, in a search for a select set of swords. The yakuza set the story on fire, tracing every step and making their presence known with every single page as they watch Rachel and Chase in their quest. Guided by Shinzo, a psychic Buddhist monk, and swordswoman Yuki they embark on a mission that would make even hardest of tomb raiders reach for a pair of Huggies. Add in the complications of organized crime and the inexplicable, and you'll soon learn their task is for only the bravest of souls.
Ms. McFarren has handed you a front row seat to Japanese culture and an introduction to the dangerous world of the yazuka; adorned with the vibrant addition of geishas and revenge schemes, peppered with spirits and close calls underwater, then finally sprinkled with a dash of toe-curling romance. There isn't a frivolous moment to be found in over 300 pages, and neither are you given the opportunity to breathe. Just as soon as it's been figured out, everything changes and you're whisked away even deeper into this eccentric world. There is more than just treasure at stake as Rachel and Chase race to find the swords. Instead the entire fate of Japan rests in their hands.
Ms. McFarren comes off as intelligent and knowledgeable in her quest to share this story. She also manages to take a foreign world and paint a visual picture for even the most unacquainted of paper-and-ink travelers. As I understand Buried Threads follows the events of Severed Threads, but easily stands on its own without needing to read the other installment - except after reading this, I just might have to. After I read Buried Threads again." – Armada West, author of Undefeated
"If you happen to see Lara Croft, Indiana Jones, and Robert Langdon in line with food stamps, you can thank Kaylin McFarren's Buried Threads for putting them out of work. Instead meet Rachel and Chase, treasure hunting partners and lovers who are vastly unprepared for what awaits them in the perilous streets of Japan. There is no misdirection and no lucid confusion at all throughout the story as to who is good, and who is bad. Instead Kaylin McFarren brazenly lays out all her cards - but the brilliance of Buried Threads lies in the cards Ms. McFarren has hidden up her sleeve.
Although the novel is told through rotating points of view, giving you a perfect 360 of what is going on, Rachel stood out as the true protagonist as she arrives in Japan to join her boyfriend and fellow treasure hunter, Chase, in a search for a select set of swords. The yakuza set the story on fire, tracing every step and making their presence known with every single page as they watch Rachel and Chase in their quest. Guided by Shinzo, a psychic Buddhist monk, and swordswoman Yuki they embark on a mission that would make even hardest of tomb raiders reach for a pair of Huggies. Add in the complications of organized crime and the inexplicable, and you'll soon learn their task is for only the bravest of souls.
Ms. McFarren has handed you a front row seat to Japanese culture and an introduction to the dangerous world of the yazuka; adorned with the vibrant addition of geishas and revenge schemes, peppered with spirits and close calls underwater, then finally sprinkled with a dash of toe-curling romance. There isn't a frivolous moment to be found in over 300 pages, and neither are you given the opportunity to breathe. Just as soon as it's been figured out, everything changes and you're whisked away even deeper into this eccentric world. There is more than just treasure at stake as Rachel and Chase race to find the swords. Instead the entire fate of Japan rests in their hands.
Ms. McFarren comes off as intelligent and knowledgeable in her quest to share this story. She also manages to take a foreign world and paint a visual picture for even the most unacquainted of paper-and-ink travelers. As I understand Buried Threads follows the events of Severed Threads, but easily stands on its own without needing to read the other installment - except after reading this, I just might have to. After I read Buried Threads again." – Armada West, author of Undefeated
FREE GIVEAWAY!!!
Just completed an audio book for Severed Threads - the first adventure in the Threads series - with John Jaret, an incredibly talented actor who has the ability to make stories come alive. As a result, this new format is now available at Amazon and iTunes, and Audible is also giving away 25 FREE copies!! All you have to do is send your contact information to kaylin@kaylinmcfarren.com so that I can provide you with an easy access key. This freebie would make a great gift for yourself or someone in your life who enjoys listening to stories filled with suspense, action and romance. For more information about this story and the availability of other audiobooks, be sure to visit: http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-T...
Thanks!! Kaylin
Thanks!! Kaylin
A fresh new look!!
Excited to announce that all the books in the Kaylin McFarren Threads series have a fresh new look due to the artistic skills and remarkable imagination of Amanda Tomo Yoshida, graduate of the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. You will discover that each book has also undergone additional editing and is now included in my revised, simple to navigate website thanks to Michael Volnychev, my masterful webmeister. Please take a moment to visit this site and consider signing up for my quarterly newsletter, which will provide you with information about book signings, new releases, free giveaways, contests, and fun promotional events.
In the meantime, mark your calendar for March 20th – when Banished Threads is officially released on Amazon.com. This is an action-packed suspense thriller, guaranteed to keep you turning pages and reading until late at night, guessing the identities of the true villains.
With all this in mind, let me extend my best wishes for the upcoming holidays and for a memorable, creative and extremely productive new year! – Kaylin
(www.kaylinmcfarren.com)
In the meantime, mark your calendar for March 20th – when Banished Threads is officially released on Amazon.com. This is an action-packed suspense thriller, guaranteed to keep you turning pages and reading until late at night, guessing the identities of the true villains.
With all this in mind, let me extend my best wishes for the upcoming holidays and for a memorable, creative and extremely productive new year! – Kaylin
(www.kaylinmcfarren.com)
FREE, FREE, FREE!!!
SEVERED THREADS, the first book in my THREADS Series is FREE right now on Amazon Kindle. Click the link below to download and enjoy Rachel and Chase's adventure of a lifetime tonight!!
http://www.amazon.com/Severed-Threads...
Another Lovely Review
Twisted Threads
Kaylin McFarren
Creative Edge Publishing LLC (2017)
ISBN 9781975921354
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (10/17)
“Twisted Threads” by Kaylin McFarren is an action-packed, psychological romantic mystery/thriller readers will simply devour. This multifaceted adventure is the fourth novel in the Threads Series, this time set on a Caribbean cruise ship. True to its name, “Twisted Threads” is full of twisty drama threaded together with manipulative plot spins, shadowy characters, heartfelt romantic entanglements, and even a bit of sensual erotica.
Taking the lead in the story is Akira Hamada, a beautiful Japanese geisha who unwillingly relinquishes all hope of a normal life when she is forced to work as an assassin for the crime lord that destroyed her lover. Her mission is to avenge the brutal murder of the crime lord’s sister–or face her own certain death.
When Akira meets Devon Lyons, the walls around her outwardly impenetrable façade soften and for the first time in a very long time, she dares to dream. The couple fall fast and hard for each other, yet Devon is unaware his aunt and uncle are the targets of Akira’s assignment. Nothing and no one are as they seem, and with a string of mysterious deaths aboard the ship, plus a killer on the loose, secrets that are best kept buried threaten to rise to the surface and take down everyone in the way.
From the very start, McFarren hooks the reader with an enigmatic mystery character who is ready for vengeance, then swiftly moves to a grisly scene revealing a ferocious protagonist who takes down the enemy as if merely swatting flies. That’s just the first few pages, and the action never stops. The beauty is in the author’s seemingly unfailing ability to write enthralling, convincing scenes, be it a bloody battle to the death or a hot and steamy love scene. The detail in her writing propels the reader forward, as she drops bits and pieces of clues along the way, only to insert twists that leave you guessing and wanting more.
Well developed characters provide authenticity to the overall tone of the story. There’s the one guy everyone loves to hate, the nagging wife, the doting, unhappy husband who only tolerates his wife because she has loads of money (and he is afraid of her), the self-important captain of the ship, the star-crossed lovers of course, and plenty of well-rounded extras who help take the story to the next level. Readers will definitely experience a range of emotions as they follow the travails and triumphs of these feisty characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Twisted Threads” by Kaylin McFarren from cover to cover. 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!
Kaylin McFarren
Creative Edge Publishing LLC (2017)
ISBN 9781975921354
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (10/17)
“Twisted Threads” by Kaylin McFarren is an action-packed, psychological romantic mystery/thriller readers will simply devour. This multifaceted adventure is the fourth novel in the Threads Series, this time set on a Caribbean cruise ship. True to its name, “Twisted Threads” is full of twisty drama threaded together with manipulative plot spins, shadowy characters, heartfelt romantic entanglements, and even a bit of sensual erotica.
Taking the lead in the story is Akira Hamada, a beautiful Japanese geisha who unwillingly relinquishes all hope of a normal life when she is forced to work as an assassin for the crime lord that destroyed her lover. Her mission is to avenge the brutal murder of the crime lord’s sister–or face her own certain death.
When Akira meets Devon Lyons, the walls around her outwardly impenetrable façade soften and for the first time in a very long time, she dares to dream. The couple fall fast and hard for each other, yet Devon is unaware his aunt and uncle are the targets of Akira’s assignment. Nothing and no one are as they seem, and with a string of mysterious deaths aboard the ship, plus a killer on the loose, secrets that are best kept buried threaten to rise to the surface and take down everyone in the way.
From the very start, McFarren hooks the reader with an enigmatic mystery character who is ready for vengeance, then swiftly moves to a grisly scene revealing a ferocious protagonist who takes down the enemy as if merely swatting flies. That’s just the first few pages, and the action never stops. The beauty is in the author’s seemingly unfailing ability to write enthralling, convincing scenes, be it a bloody battle to the death or a hot and steamy love scene. The detail in her writing propels the reader forward, as she drops bits and pieces of clues along the way, only to insert twists that leave you guessing and wanting more.
Well developed characters provide authenticity to the overall tone of the story. There’s the one guy everyone loves to hate, the nagging wife, the doting, unhappy husband who only tolerates his wife because she has loads of money (and he is afraid of her), the self-important captain of the ship, the star-crossed lovers of course, and plenty of well-rounded extras who help take the story to the next level. Readers will definitely experience a range of emotions as they follow the travails and triumphs of these feisty characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Twisted Threads” by Kaylin McFarren from cover to cover. 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!
US Review of Books Gives 5 Stars to Twisted Threads
Twisted Threads
by Kaylin McFarren
Creative Edge Publishing
Reviewed by Michael Radon, US REVIEW
"'What kind of game are you playing, Yuki? What about the money you promised to give me? If anyone finds out about this...'"
The Threads series continues in this tale of suspense and mystery surrounding the employment debt of Akira Hamada. Her days as a geisha long behind her, she now serves as a deadly assassin for the Yakuza boss Mitsui. After Akira makes a threat on Mitsui’s life, his daughter-in-law, Yuki Ota, (a character familiar to readers of the series to this point) is the messenger to give Akira one final job, but Akira is unsure if this is her way out or merely a trap to end her career fatally or in prison.
Along with a loyal and skilled cleaner, Takashi, Akira is to board a Caribbean cruise. Among her fellow passengers are Paul and Sara Lyons, an unhappily married couple who Mitsui believes are involved in the death of his sister in Mexico. Akira hopes to determine which of the two is the actual murderer so that no innocent blood can be shed; so in order to get close with the Lyons family, she becomes romantically involved with Paul’s nephew, Devon, who is also along for the cruise. Upon getting in with this group of travelers, Akira discovers several peculiar people such as the mysterious Dr. Peter Bradshaw, who seems to be keeping secrets and is in the constant presence of Sara (much to Paul’s chagrin), or the captain, Kevin Brice, who faced a demotion from the cruise company a decade ago after mysterious deaths on his watch. As the pleasure cruise begins to rack up a body count, Akira has to determine who is guilty and exact her boss’s revenge without getting caught herself—all while juggling her double life as a Japanese tourist and new partner to the nephew of her target.
Many of the best suspense, thriller, and mystery stories take place on a form of transportation, and this book is no different. The reason for this narrative choice is obvious, as it creates an inescapable arena with which the players can play cat and mouse, all within a set time limit for the story to unfold. The use of a cruise ship in this story allows for the exploration of exotic locales—and an opulent backdrop for the romantic, erotic elements of this story—while still providing that basic tension and restriction that keeps the action constantly moving forward. For readers who have kept up with the series, it’s the same kind of well-crafted thrill ride that the audience has come to expect. At the same time, this story is in many ways self-sufficient. Veterans will be more aware of the origins of the Lyons family and the Zakura-kai family, but everything between these two covers still stands perfectly on its own.
Like many pieces of popular spy fiction—whether it be literature, television, or movie—the author blends in some violent action with passionate romance and casts it all on a backdrop of an exotic and beautiful locale. Akira’s conflict between the past she was robbed of, her present unsavory circumstances, and a glimpse at a happy future create an emotional drama separate from the mystery of who among the seemingly happy cruise patrons and employees is capable of foul play. The fact that Akira is one of those with murder on her hands creates a scenario in which nobody is really innocent, leading to potential treachery and backstabbing on all sides. Readers will want to follow this book all the way to the end and should have no problem doing so after being gripped by its memorable characters and suspenseful storytelling. Whether you’re new to this series or just getting started, this book will leave an impression and keep the audience guessing all the way until Akira’s final showdown.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the US Review
by Kaylin McFarren
Creative Edge Publishing
Reviewed by Michael Radon, US REVIEW
"'What kind of game are you playing, Yuki? What about the money you promised to give me? If anyone finds out about this...'"
The Threads series continues in this tale of suspense and mystery surrounding the employment debt of Akira Hamada. Her days as a geisha long behind her, she now serves as a deadly assassin for the Yakuza boss Mitsui. After Akira makes a threat on Mitsui’s life, his daughter-in-law, Yuki Ota, (a character familiar to readers of the series to this point) is the messenger to give Akira one final job, but Akira is unsure if this is her way out or merely a trap to end her career fatally or in prison.
Along with a loyal and skilled cleaner, Takashi, Akira is to board a Caribbean cruise. Among her fellow passengers are Paul and Sara Lyons, an unhappily married couple who Mitsui believes are involved in the death of his sister in Mexico. Akira hopes to determine which of the two is the actual murderer so that no innocent blood can be shed; so in order to get close with the Lyons family, she becomes romantically involved with Paul’s nephew, Devon, who is also along for the cruise. Upon getting in with this group of travelers, Akira discovers several peculiar people such as the mysterious Dr. Peter Bradshaw, who seems to be keeping secrets and is in the constant presence of Sara (much to Paul’s chagrin), or the captain, Kevin Brice, who faced a demotion from the cruise company a decade ago after mysterious deaths on his watch. As the pleasure cruise begins to rack up a body count, Akira has to determine who is guilty and exact her boss’s revenge without getting caught herself—all while juggling her double life as a Japanese tourist and new partner to the nephew of her target.
Many of the best suspense, thriller, and mystery stories take place on a form of transportation, and this book is no different. The reason for this narrative choice is obvious, as it creates an inescapable arena with which the players can play cat and mouse, all within a set time limit for the story to unfold. The use of a cruise ship in this story allows for the exploration of exotic locales—and an opulent backdrop for the romantic, erotic elements of this story—while still providing that basic tension and restriction that keeps the action constantly moving forward. For readers who have kept up with the series, it’s the same kind of well-crafted thrill ride that the audience has come to expect. At the same time, this story is in many ways self-sufficient. Veterans will be more aware of the origins of the Lyons family and the Zakura-kai family, but everything between these two covers still stands perfectly on its own.
Like many pieces of popular spy fiction—whether it be literature, television, or movie—the author blends in some violent action with passionate romance and casts it all on a backdrop of an exotic and beautiful locale. Akira’s conflict between the past she was robbed of, her present unsavory circumstances, and a glimpse at a happy future create an emotional drama separate from the mystery of who among the seemingly happy cruise patrons and employees is capable of foul play. The fact that Akira is one of those with murder on her hands creates a scenario in which nobody is really innocent, leading to potential treachery and backstabbing on all sides. Readers will want to follow this book all the way to the end and should have no problem doing so after being gripped by its memorable characters and suspenseful storytelling. Whether you’re new to this series or just getting started, this book will leave an impression and keep the audience guessing all the way until Akira’s final showdown.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the US Review
In regard to those struggling reviewers on Amazon and Goodreads, shall I try to explain?
As an author (and tongue in cheek reader), I find it ironic that the negative comments I've received thus far for TWISTED THREADS have nothing to do with the erotic scenes and BDSM tactics incorporated in the story but were instead directed at the romantic interruption that (for some readers) distracted from the villainous murders that occurred on the cruise ship. With that being said, I applaud this accurate assessment, as that is precisely what I was hoping to accomplish. You see, Akira has been sent on this trip to the Caribbean with a single purpose in mind: to determine who killed a yakuza gang leader's sister and to dispose of them. The fact that she becomes enamored with luxurious aspects of the ship, incredible day outings, and a romantic relationship she never anticipated (and yes...she was immediately attracted to Devon) are important elements in her personal growth. It's not until dead bodies start piling up that she's reminded of her true purpose on the ship and the limited amount of time she has left to solve the mystery before ending her charade. So, hurray!!! Thank you for experiencing what Akira experienced by being distracted when she should have been working and for pointing out the "non" errors of my author-ly ways. - Kaylin :)
