by Angela Smith | Feb 23, 2016 | Books, Guests
Today’s guest post is by Lynn Crandall. Lynn’s book, Always and Forever Love is part of the collection of stories in the Noir Nights bundle. Welcome, Lynn!
Lynn:
I love the element of suspense in books. As a reader, I like to bite my nails, follow twists, see the red herring, and discover after all the threat of danger or capture by a villain, the hero or heroine solve the problem. In my case as a writer, not only do my characters face triumph over life-threatening situations and defeat the villain, he or she finds true love.
Give me a Magnum PI, Sheriff Longmire, or Elena Michaels story and I’ll happily get caught up in the drama and suspense. But my interest in writing suspense actually has its roots in books such as The Secret if the Old Clock and The Whispering Statue, stories that followed investigations led by intrepid girl detective, Nancy Drew. There were so many Nancy Drew books, I could finish one and go right on with the next one. In fact, my mom gave me an entire collection of those books. Even though some were written in the late 1950s, I related to Nancy, a young girl with curiosity and keen instincts for puzzling out mysterious situations.
With this background from my childhood, when I started writing fiction it was natural for me to write romantic suspense. In Always and Forever Love, I wanted to team two sisters with completely different personalities to work on uncovering truth and in the process face personal issues. Lacey Aegar, the heroine in the story, her client, Jackson Carter, must work with her archenemy, and she must work with him to uncover the truth that will save his business and free her from the unbearable loss of her husband, who has shown up in her life as an embodied spirit.
I don’t expect to discover a real-life plot to release a dangerous drug into the world. But let’s be honest, life is suspenseful. When we’re young, we don’t know what we’ll do for a living or where we’ll end up living. We each have personal challenges to discover and learn to manage. And if we want true love, we have to figure out what kind of person that would be, then we have to search for our love. It’s all a mystery.
How has your life been suspenseful?
Blurb: The presence of a ghost in her life doesn’t alarm Lacy Aegar, in fact, it makes her happy. Two and a half years ago when her dead husband Nicholas reappeared in her life as a full-bodied spirit, she questioned her sanity. But with Nicholas’ explanation that there are things about life that are not as she’s always believed, she settled into a pleasant routine of working with her sister at their private investigation business and enjoying home life with her now 10-year-old son – with Nicholas never very far away.
Lacey’s complacency and sense of stability is sent topsy-turvy when she runs into Jackson Carter, the son of powerful and influential business tycoon, William Carter. Typical of the Carter reputation, Jackson’s slick new private investigating business is siphoning off clients from the Aegar sisters’ business, creating financial difficulty. It’s a recurring nightmare for Lacey, who has already seen damage done by the Carter family, and when she encounters Jackson, she wants nothing to do with him.
But things are not what they seem when it comes to Jackson Carter, either. Unbeknownst to Lacey and her sister, Jackson is fighting a battle to preserve his business, too, and his integrity. For him, it’s a fight for his soul, and he enlists Lacey’s help because of her unique investigative skills and open heart. When she uncovers a mole in his business, she also discovers that one of his clients’ drug trials has been given the green light to go to the next phase based on falsified data. As they work together to save both their businesses, Jackson and Lacey not only face death, they must come to grips with their feelings about love and life.
http://lynn-crandall.com/2016/02/21/life-is-suspenseful/
http://amzn.com/B01BN2BO9Y
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/noir-nights-lynn-crandall/1123425862?ean=9781440597398
https://www.facebook.com/LynnCrandallAuthor/?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/lcrandall246
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/noir-nights/id1083667009?l=fr&mt=11
by Angela Smith | Feb 2, 2016 | Guests
Let’s welcome Rachel Dunning, author of the New Adult Romance Debt. Isn’t the cover fantastic?
99c Pre-Order Sale
Over 400 Pages
Standalone Novel
New-Adult Romance / Sports Romance
DEBT
By Rachel Dunning
Expected Release Date:
March 2016
What’s it about?
The Debt Collector
I pay my debts, and I expect others to.
I was raised in the slums of London, I knew nothing of privilege. My father was murdered when I was seventeen. Morty figured my father’s passing meant I would automatically take on dad’s debts. I refused.
And I paid for that refusal.
So did my sister.
So now I fight. All I know how to do is fight. The best cash is in the states, so that’s where I am now. A big fish called Vito came along offering me a “favor” when I arrived.
Another debt.
I paid for that one too.
I knew Kyla Hensley would be trouble when I met her. But I wanted her. I could see through the falsehood of her wannabe-slutty clothes and her sexy legs. So I chased her.
Besides, trouble is my middle name.
Kyla Hensley
I was brought up in privilege, but I lacked everything else. My father is a business tycoon who buys and sells and doesn’t care who gets rolled over in the process.
I never knew my mother, and all I have of her is a photo with a note scrawled on the back in French saying “I’m sorry.” The only Female Figure I had growing up is my dad’s wife who is a bleach blond with seven boob jobs. We never bonded.
I drink. I party. I meet guys.
But I wasn’t always like that.
I’ve had a string of lovers in the last few years, the worst and most recent of which was Vince Somerset. My best friend Vera was dating a guy called Rory Cansoom who is the opposite of Vince in so many ways, and yet so the same.
She and I hit the road for the summer, getting away from the two college psychos and just trying to have some fun.
But there’s a funny thing about trouble, the more you run from it, the more it finds you.
Which is when I met the Debt Collector.
It was only supposed to be sex. He made that clear. I made that clear.
That’s all it was supposed to be.
I never expected to fall in love. I never expected to fall so deeply, madly, uncomfortably in love with a man who is wrong, so wrong for me.
And yet…so unbelievably right.
Content Warning
Not intended for readers under the age of seventeen.
Genres:
New-Adult Romance
Sports Romance
Links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A02LNLC
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A02LNLC
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01A02LNLC
Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01A02LNLC
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/debt/id1071559413?mt=11
Nook / B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/debt-rachel-dunning/1123196983?ean=2940152548570
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/603988
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28400056-debt
About Rachel
Rachel Dunning hit the scene in August 2013 and is the author of the highly praised Naive Mistakes Series, Truthful Lies Trilogy, Johnny Series and the paranormal romance series, Mind Games.
A prolific writer, she sticks to stories where Alpha Males aren’t pricks and where women have guts.
She’s lived on two different continents, speaks three different languages, and met the love of her life on the internet. In other words, romance is in her blood.
Get Rachel’s Newsletter
Sign up for Rachel’s Newsletter and never miss a release or a special.
You can sign up here:
http://www.rdunning.com/p/non-spammy-news.html
Where Else to Find Rachel
Blog / Website: http://www.rdunning.com
Facebook: http://bit.ly/RachelDunning
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelDAuthor
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/racheldunning
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/RachelDunningBN
iTunes: http://bit.ly/RachelDunningiTunes
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/racheldunning
When did you absolutely know that you had to be a writer?
After I got my first five-star review. Up to that point it was pretty touch-and-go.
What was your favorite part of writing Debt?
I loved the story, so every part of it was special for me. I think it’s my best story yet (I always say that after every book, but it’s true that writers improve.) It’s a very human story about how love can strike at any moment and how there are no “compatibility tests” that can predict when it will strike. It’s about how sometimes people just know things, despite all evidence being to the contrary. It’s extremely romantic.
What is your favorite aspect of writing a novel? I.e. do you prefer to create characters or to plot?
Characters are above and beyond to plot for me. Although plot always needs to be exciting. I hate stories where characters spend pages and pages and pages on internal musings.
Do you ever use your life experiences in your novels?
Not really. But I think it’s impossible to not have a part of you filter into the story in some way. That’s what makes all writers unique. Everybody is an individual.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one book with you, what would you take?
I’d take a notebook…and a pen.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one song with you, what would you take?
A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri
If you had the career of your choice, what would you choose and why?
You mean other than writing? I’d be a rock star, or an actress. Simply because it’s cool. 😉
Who would play your characters if your book was made into a movie?
The Debt Collector would be played by a younger Matthew McConaughey.
I’m not sure who’d play Kyla Hensley. Any takers?
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Writing itself is challenging. But as an indie author, I find the marketing more challenging than the writing (I don’t know if it’s any easier for “published” authors.)
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Forget what everyone else says, if you want to be an artist, be one.
Great advice! Thanks for stopping by!
by Angela Smith | Nov 9, 2015 | Guests
Blurb for Modern Magic: A Quartet of Fractured Fairy Tales
What if Cinderella ditched the prince’s ball and sent her fairy godmother to find love in her place?
Suppose a streetwise hero hired to steal an all-powerful Genie (stuck in a flash drive rather than a brass lamp) for a tech company ended up running for his life with the CEO’s gorgeous, intelligent daughter?
Or what if the bed that a certain golden-tressed girl accidentally napped in belonged to the hot and famous middle brother of a notorious boy band?
Can you envision the sparks that might fly if a bitter and downright beastly wheelchair-bound woman propositioned a handsome bookseller to stay with her in exchange for her rare book collection?
This spellbinding anthology features modern and sexy spins on four classic fairy tales that will enchant you by Jennifer DeCuir, Stephanie Cage, Andrea R. Cooper, and Nancy C. Weeks.
BUY LINKS
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
KOBO
About the Authors:
Jennifer DeCuir, author of A Late-Blooming Rose, grew up in a small town in Maine, which provides the basis for Scallop Shores, the fictional town in Drawn to Jonah. She’s busy raising two kids and a husband. She loves including children and babies in her stories, as her own provide endless story ideas. Currently residing in rain-soaked Washington, she can usually be found working on her latest book in a local Starbucks.
Where to find Jennifer DeCuir:
Website
Author Facebook Page
Twitter
Stephanie Cage, author of Music to Her Ears is a British romance writer, author of ‘Perfect Partners’ (Crimson Romance) and ‘Desperate Bid (The Wild Rose Press). She studied English Literature at Oxford University and Creative Writing at Bath Spa. One of her most exciting writing moments was winning a holiday to Sicily in the Woman’s Own Short Story Competition. More recently she won the Yorkshire Ridings Magazine’s Romance Story competition. Oddly, both short stories were set in the same location in Yorkshire.
Where to find Stephanie Cage:
Stephanie Cage’s Blog
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Amazon Page
Pinterest
Andrea R. Cooper, author of Fairy Trouble writes fantasy, paranormal, historical and romantic suspense. Her favorite childhood memories revolved around creating vibrant characters for her friends, and then acting out their adventures. Inside her fantasy worlds of darkened forests, dragon-filled glades, and iced islands, nothing was banned. From the ethereal Elvin to the most maligned Vampires, all were welcome in her fictional realities, a stark contrast to her home, where the magical and mythical was forbidden.
Where to find Andrea R. Cooper
Website
Newsletter
Twitter
Nancy C. Weeks, author of His One Wish has loved happy-ever-after romances since she was in her early teens. While still in college, she met and married her hero. She spent the next several years honeymooning and working overseas. Today, she lives in suburban Maryland with her husband of more than thirty years. With her two grown children out of the nest, she loves spending her days on her deck writing as the local bird population keeps her company.
Find Nancy C. Weeks:
Website
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Pinterest
by Angela Smith | Oct 12, 2015 | Guests
The Harvester is out there … watching, waiting, biding his time.
FBI cult specialist Lilith Munroe lives in dread that one day the man who tortured her when a case went bad will find her again. So leaving her sanctuary in Quantico to join the Harvester Task Force in Boston is her version of hell. But the Harvester is kidnapping babies, and Lilith’s profiling skills may mean the difference between life and death for the most innocent in society.
Australian millionaire and former member of the New Horizon commune Jacob Andrews returns to the United States searching for his sister. Instead of the happy reunion he expects, he discovers she is dead and his twin brother may be responsible. He agrees to lend his law enforcement skills to help find his former cult leader before the man can implement his plan to kill millions.
Now uneasy partners, Jacob and Lilith must learn to trust each other even as they fight their growing attraction. But when Lilith’s greatest fears materialize, will Jacob be able to set aside his anger and save the woman he loves?
Sensuality Level: Sensual
Buy Links
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/White-Lily-Susanne-Matthews-ebook/dp/B015P79XZ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443387932&sr=8-1&keywords=The+White+Lily+Susanne+Matthews
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-white-lily-susanne-matthews/1122682664?ean=9781440591228
KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/the-white-lily
Excerpt:
“That must have been awful for her, for all of you.” Lilith said.
“It doesn’t matter now. Dying was probably the only way out Mom had. From that day on, Eloise’s life was hell. The other kids in the commune, including my cousins, made fun of her and said the burn was Satan’s mark on her—something they’d heard my uncle say—but when I was around they left her alone. When I confronted my uncle about that and other things, I ended up in the desert.”
He closed his eyes, seeing a tearful Eloise held back by her aunt as he was led out to be disciplined.
“Leaving my brothers and sisters wasn’t easy, but I figured Jimmy would step into the breach and protect Eloise. They’d always been close. The conversation with that boy got me thinking that maybe she’d somehow escaped from the commune, and I decided to look for her.”
“My God, knowing what her life was like, how could you do it? How could you walk away from that poor child and leave her there for eighteen years? And when you decided to look for her, you waited again. Why?”
The implication that if he’d come sooner he might’ve saved Eloise was clear.
“Because I was an angry, seventeen-year-old bastard who’d almost died, and I was too damn scared to go back,” he said through gritted teeth. “Don’t judge me, Agent Munroe. Until you’ve been brutalized as I was, you don’t have the right to.”
Her face paled, no doubt stunned by the viciousness of his attack, but he didn’t care. No one could possibly hate him as much at the moment as he hated himself.
“As for coming after her a few months ago, fate conspired against us. Andrew had a heart attack, and I made the choice to stay with him, a decision I refuse to regret. I hired a private investigator in Boston to find the girl with the tattoo. He found her right away, in mid-June. When I saw the picture, I knew it was my sister. She looks—I mean looked—like my mother. The PI arranged for me to contact her. She told me James had taken her to get that tattoo on her sixteenth birthday.”
“How did Eloise feel about seeing you again?” Her voice had lost its warmth, and her eyes were cold.
“She was surprised, but excited when I told her I wanted to bring her to Australia to live with me. She was worried about what might happen if my uncle discovered I’d survived and that she was planning to leave the States. I gathered from what she’d said that New Horizon had changed and not for the better. Through the man who’d found her, I made arrangements for her to get a passport and a ticket to Sydney.”
Susanne Matthews was born and raised in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. She’s always been an avid reader of all types of books, but with a penchant for happily ever after romances. In her imagination, she travelled to foreign lands, past and present, and soared into the future. A retired educator, Susanne spends her time writing and creating adventures for her readers. She loves the ins and outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery and love.
Follow Susanne on her: Website Blog Facebook page Twitter @jandsmatt
Amazon author page and Goodreads author page
by Angela Smith | Jun 4, 2015 | Guests
Today, I welcome Nancy C. Weeks to my blog as she talks about her latest release, Shadows and Light: The Complete Series.
Angela, it is such a joy to be on your blog today. Thank you so much for inviting me and giving me a chance to introduce your readers to my new release, Shadows and Light: The Complete Series.
What intrigues you about Shadows and Light: The Complete Series?
I think I’ll answer this question by explaining the theme of this series. The seed that spouted Shadows and Light came from a common, but powerful adage: love conquers all. In the real world, our lives are constantly shadowed by adversity. It’s the people that love us that help us through difficult times. Accepting that love and trusting someone enough to allow them into our hearts can be so overwhelming.
What intrigued me in writing this series was finding a way to bring this natural conflict to life on the page. From In the Shadow of Greed to In the Shadow of Vengeance, I engulfed my characters in one conflict after another and demanded they learn to love and trust each other—to work through their problems together. I also surrounded them with a large family of secondary characters who gave their all to help my couples reach their well deserved happy-ever-after. And I couldn’t allow those wonderful secondary characters to just disappear. Instead, I gave them their own book, their own happy-ever-after.
Who or what is your greatest writing influence?
My greatest writing influence is my mother. She always saw this side of me long before I had the courage to pen that first sentence. Dementia took over my amazingly strong mother, but out of the blue, there were days she would look at me and ask, “Nancy, when are you going to write that book? When I finally took that first step, she was the angel sitting on my shoulder, my biggest heavenly fan.
When did you absolutely know that you had to be a writer?
I think I have always wanted to be a writer but never thought it was something I could do. I didn’t believe I was smart enough to write a novel. I don’t know why I had so little faith in myself. When I meet people now and hear my words coming out of their mouth, “OH, I could never write a whole book,” I give them a hug ― because I’m a big hugger — and tell them that they sure the heck can write a book if that’s their passion. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t start calling myself a writer until the day my first novel, In the Shadow of Greed was released. But by then, I caught this magical bug. It was no longer an option for me not to write because I loved it so much.
What was your favorite part of writing Shadows and Light: The Complete Series?
After reading one of my books, readers might believe that I just love to blow things up. Well, that’s true, but what I really loved about this series was writing my hero and heroine’s love story. The romance that begins in chapter one and follows my characters through to the last page is such a joy to write.
Are you a plotter, a pantser, or both?
Oh, I’m a pantser and proud of it. In each story I have written, I have had a general premise, an outline of how I wanted to story to go. But somewhere along the way, something magical happens that is really hard to explain. The story takes on a life of its own. It doesn’t necessarily change the direction of the story, but I can’t help sitting back and enjoying the WOW moment―where in the heck did that come from? The story always ends the way I plan, but the way I arrive at the ending is a real mystery. The wow moments in writing are just magic.
Do you ever use your life experiences in your novels?
I don’t live in my characters’ worlds. I go to great lengths to separate who I am from them. If I didn’t, my characters would come across so boring. J With that said, there are certain parts of myself, my beliefs, my intimate knowledge into certain areas that I can’t help bringing to each novel.
Are you working on any projects right now?
Yes! I can’t help myself. As soon as I turn in one book, another story begins churning away, begging to be told. My next project will be another romantic suspense series about three siblings whose worlds’ fall apart the night their father is murdered. This series will have a cool supernatural element based on the proverbial principle to ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.’ This is all I can share at this point because I’m still working the synopsis for all three books.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
This question is an easy one to answer but so hard to follow. Here goes: I would like to tell my younger self to love myself the way those around me love me; see myself through their eyes and have a little faith in my God-given abilities.
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
Oh, there are so many books I wish I could have written. The one that came to mind when I read this question was the Harry Potter series. What an amazing imagination. Those books captured the world.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website and Blog: http://nancycweeks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyCWeeksAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyCWeeks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nancycweeks/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1FQmKbs
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7009278.Nancy_C_Weeks
BLURB FOR SHADOWS AND LIGHT: THE COMPLETED SERIES:
Meet five Irish brothers, all sworn to protect and serve – and the smart women who help them take down the terrorists gunning for their family. Lock up your heart: when it comes to love, the sexy McNeils know how to walk this beat.
- In the Shadow of Greed: Brilliant cryptologist Dr. Sarah Tu races against time to block the most dangerous Internet malware ever created – and it’s up to FBI agent Jason McNeil to make sure she stays alive long enough to do it.
- In the Shadow of Evil: After ten years with Maryland’s Special Crime Unit, very little rattles Jared McNeil. Then his nemesis resurfaces, with his sights set on the woman Jared is honor bound to protect.
- In the Shadow of Malice: Adam Blake, ex-CIA operative, has gone to great lengths to keep his identity a secret, but his cover’s blown when he ends up on the run with waitress Calista Martin to protect his little girl.
- In the Shadow of Pride: When Lexie Trevena’s matchmaking friends accidentally place her smack in the path of a terrorist who intends to use her as his pawn, the only person who can help her is Special Agent-in-Charge Luke “Mac” McNeil – the man she holds responsible for her husband’s death.
- In the Shadow of Vengeance: Elizabeth Merlot can’t afford to let handsome Detective Noah McNeil discover her secret past. But when trouble finds her son, Noah may be the only one who can save their lives.
Sensuality Level: Sensual
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
KOBO
by Angela Smith | Apr 9, 2015 | Guests
Today’s guest post is by Amber Kallyn, Editor with Wicked Dragon Writer Solutions where they offer Two editing beasts for one smoking price.
Does Your Written Gem Need An Editor? How about Two? #WDWS #editors
You’ve finally typed the two most important words: “THE END”, but your precious treasure of words needs one final polish before you usher it out on to the cruel world. Welcome to Wicked Dragon Writer Solutions, where you can get two editing beasts for one smoking price!
Between Amber and I, we have 13 hard-won years of word crafting experience, not just in published work, but in editing for other authors. While we’ve been doing this without gathering our fees, we decided it was time to put our pens to work for us. We know how vital editors are to Creators of the Written Word, and what’s better than one editor? How about two editors putting their eyes to the jewelers loop to examine your precious treasure, and you’ll only be out the gold for the price of one. Think of it as an Editorial BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free).
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