Kaylin McFarren's Blog - Posts Tagged "twisted-threads"

Han Solo once said, "You know, sometimes I amaze even myself.” I guess I could honestly say today has turned out to be one of those times. With the next installment in my Threads series officially underway, I found myself paddling out and surfing a creative wave this morning, completing four difficult chapters in a matter of hours. I could attribute this sudden burst of creative energy to the fact that I love writing thrillers, especially when there are suspects for a gruesome murder popping up everywhere or, in my case, on multiple ship levels. After writing three books in my Threads series and developing a band of deeply flawed characters, it's great fun to reveal a side to their nature you never expected to read. So with that subtle hint shared along with a rousing mental "rah", it's back to work for me, writing another action-packed adventure that will hopefully be as engaging to read as it is to write. If all goes well and according to carefully laid plans, Twisted Threads will make an appearance on book sites before the first snowfall in December.

Kaylin McFarren

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
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 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.

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...

Does your favorite novel have hot intense sex with an on the edge of your seat plot and a psychotic character? Then believe or not, you're a fan of erotic, psychological thrillers, which many consider an explosive mix. Aside from the obvious, this genre is a great distraction from the general craziness of life. It dares to explore the darker side of our fantasies and their sometimes unintended consequences. Even though it does this by taking the reader to many extreme and taboo places, there are also beneficial topics involved, such as: overcoming our fears, breaking down barriers, not being victims of circumstance, and being true to our sexuality. Many of us live our lives doing what we have been conditioned to do instead of being true to ourselves and living authentically. Sometimes it takes an extraordinary situation to dismantle antiquated beliefs and to accept hidden truths about human nature and the human condition.

The real advantage of erotic thrillers is that they become a stimulating experience for the reader by delivering a roller coaster of emotions. It can be sexually-charged entertainment as well as thought provoking. One moment, you might be rooting for a villain to be caught and in the next, you’re longing for lovers to overcome their greatest challenges to be together—whether it’s forever after or just tangled up in bed. The real desire for an author creating a well-written, gripping story in this genre is to take the reader on a wild ride they never expected to experience and will take weeks…or maybe even months to forget. And even then, these books deserve to be read again and again, addressing our heightened need for passion, lust, exploration and intrigue, while throwing all caution to the wind and taking a step outside our comfort zone. Because what fun is it to restrict our book reading selections to conservative romances and historical drama when we can live precariously through hot, sexy characters in the pages of erotic thrillers, right?

Kaylin McFarren
Author of the Threads Series
www.kaylinmcfarren.comTwisted Threads

Twisted Threads by Kaylin McFarren
Reviewed by Marta Cheng
December 14, 2017

Twisted Threads

Who knew that a tropical cruise could be a health hazard – and for some, even deadly? Such is the case in Twisted Threads, Kaylin McFarren’s high-octane cruise ship whodunit, her fourth offering in the Threads series.

Former geisha, Akira, is now a trained assassin for a notorious Japanese crime syndicate led by the cold-blooded Mitsui-san. Her final assignment before being set free is to board a cruise ship, then identify and kill the person responsible for the death of Mitsui-san’s sister, Keiko, found dead two months earlier. Her short list of suspects point to a wealthy couple, but once aboard the ship, Akira decides to charm their nephew, Devon Lyons, to get to the truth. However, her assignment becomes derailed when she begins to fall for the very attractive Devon…

Twisted Threads grabs the reader’s attention from the very beginning, thanks to the many “twists” McFarren expertly weaves into the narrative. There are occasional bursts of graphic violence and kinky sex which are definitely not for the faint of heart, but could be just as much a selling point. Never gratuitous, these moments serve to heighten, or release, some of the tension that forms the core of this well-told story.

An exotic mix of mystery, murder, and romance, Twisted Threads is sure to please a wide audience of readers, either as a standalone or as part of the series.

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

Sharing a fun interview from the Outlook - a popular newspaper circulated in Oregon. Here's the link for anyone who might be interested in reading it:

http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news...

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 :)