by Sarah | Aug 20, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Excerpt, Guest Authors, Writing
To what lengths will a man go for the woman he loves?
Reed Dartmouth will learn the answer to those questions time and time again throughout his relationship with Jade Montgomery.
When he first meets her as a young, gentle boy the heartache from losing his mother only a year before is still fresh and painful. Jade is different from anyone else he’s ever met; tough, sassy, and even a bit cruel. But she’s also the same as he is: she knows what it’s like to lose a parent.
Their friendship begins and a bond like no other is formed. Time passes and Reed learns that not only are Jade’s parents dead, they were murdered and she’s made an oath to one day bring them justice. No matter the price.
As they grow older their love evolves but for Jade, old habits die hard and she can’t stop hurting those she loves the most. Even in the midst of searching for her parents’ killers, passion ignites and jealousy burns as Jade tests Reed’s devotion for her. Will she push him too far?
*~*
Reed chuckled in unison with Justine as she retold her version of their many shared Driver’s Ed mishaps. “I remember it a little differently than that, but then again, that was nearly ten years ago. I guess my version could be a little sketchy.”
Her laughter faded and her eyes crinkled at the corners as her expression grew whimsical. “Wow, ten years. Has it really been that long?”
“About that, yeah, but I’m glad you gave me a ring while you were in town so that we could meet up like this. It’s been nice.”
Her finger trailed delicately around the rim of her beer. “Of course I did. I’ve always wondered what you’ve been up to all these years. We never really talked again after…that night.”
He stiffened.
Avoiding eye contact, she stared at her drink as if it had all the answers. “Remember that Reed?”
“Yep.” His answer was brief as nostalgic memories resurfaced. Those years had been tucked away, purposefully.
Justine’s body language changed and he knew she was likely contemplating whether to push the conversation or just let it go. Knowing females, and boy did he, as he was raised by many of them, he had no doubt that she’d just have to push it.
“All those years I kept wondering what she had that I didn’t. Then one day I realized that I’d go crazy trying to answer that question, so I chose to just let it go. But right now, sitting here with you, I realize that I still want to know the answer.” Finally, she raised her gaze to meet his.
He could see by the way her jaw set and her fingers trembled, that it took everything she had. He hated to be put in this position, to dredge up old ghosts from the past. He’d do it just to settle the score and hopefully it would ease her pain.
He sighed. “It wasn’t that you lacked anything at all Justine. You were… you are, beautiful, elegant, funny, kind, and quite simply a good person. There should never be a comparison drawn between you and Jade. It just isn’t fair. She came into my life before you and along the way, she asked me to make a promise to her. I kept that promise, even to my own detriment. I’m sorry that you got caught in the middle of that. I never meant to hurt you. You always did mean a lot to me.”
A sad smile haunted her features and it made him sick to his stomach to know she wasn’t sad for herself. She was sad for him.
She reached out and put a gentle hand over his. “Please tell me, Reed, that after all this time you aren’t still keeping that promise to her. She’s been gone for as long as I have. Promises can be a brutal sentence to carry out.”
He snickered. “You have no idea.” He swigged the last of his beer, placed a light kiss on her cheek, and said goodnight. If there was one thing Reed knew in the depths of his soul, it was what it meant to make a promise.
*~*
About the author:
Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their four children. She drinks ungodly amounts of coffee and has an addiction to chapstick.
She works at a surgery center as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. She writes in the genres of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won three literary awards.
***********************************************
Check out Michelle’s Other Books
by Sarah | Aug 19, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Books, Giveaway, Guest Authors, Reviews, Writing
Four & A Half Stars
First Impression has the rare distinction of impressing me. The blurb had me really curious, and the cover is fabulous…but I’ve been let down before and caught in the “typical” YA stream of consciousness that forms a book.
This one did have a little romance. It had some mystery. It had ghosts (done well). It had a frickin’ owl, people. An OWL. Not just any owl, an AWESOME owl.
Chira was totally relatable for me. She’s picked on, but has one really good friend. People don’t hate her, but she has a stigma around her because of an early rumor (the root of which is exposed during the book).
We meet Ben early on and he’s not-surprisingly a mystery. The one thing Chira notices about him is that he wears colored contacts – to make his eyes brown. Her curiosity over that finds room.
Of course, Ben is smokin’. There’s not the instant “OMG, I must have him and all else dies.” Chira is attracted, and makes some attempts at flirting, but her life goes on, and her BFF drags her along for the ride on this mission to check out the old abandoned, and haunted, schoolhouse is when things start to take a turn.
The mystery kicks off, and the revelations start to fly. I can’t go into it too much without divulging some serious spoilers into the story. All I’ll say is Pauline handles the lore, the mystery, and the high-paced action really well. Once I got to 33% I couldn’t stop and ended up staying up until about 3AM in order to finish. I couldn’t put it down until I knew what was going on.
Did I guess? I made lots of guesses, but the author threw in plenty of surprises for me. What’s better is she set off a surprise twist on the relationship front that leaves me wondering what will happen in book 2. One mystery is resolved, but I have so many more questions and hope there’s plans for more ASAP.
And anytime a book leaves me wanting more, it’s a win. I want more of Chira and Ben, and the rest of the (surviving) characters!
*~*
Join us July 21 – August 29 as we celebrate Pauline Creeden’s books
Part Steampunk, part Fantasy, all Romance…
When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair. Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.
Darkness can be overcome…
Terminally ill Lynette Lamb is forced to reunite her wayward son and grandson. Her options are as limited as her strength and mobility. Through a fateful series of events, the rejoined pair will leave Earth to become part of a colony orbiting a new planet. Sam Austin and his wife mourn the loss of their only child and decide to make a fresh start at the space station. The same ship holds the one who will fulfill the dark planet’s prophecy, but a demonic force boards to stop the vessel. The demon’s obedient but unwilling servant is sent on a suicide mission to keep the ship from reaching its destination.
Chira Kelly thought she didn’t need anyone…until she met Ben.
Because of one ugly rumor, Chira lives as an outcast at her school. Which is fine with her, because she works better alone. Always has, always will. And at least she has her one and only true friend, Tasha. When Tasha insists that they join a group to visit a possibly haunted abandoned old schoolhouse, she’s wary, but joins her friend. Because of that decision, their lives are in jeopardy as a malevolent spirit targets the group. Tragedies and accidents pick them off one by one, and Chira finds herself drawn to the one person who can see the truth. But can he protect her?
*A Young Adult Paranormal Romance – Urban Fantasy with a blend of Mystery*
Left Behind for the Hunger Games generation
In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meet The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…
When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?
Pauline Creeden
Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.
Follow Pauline Creeden:
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Follow the Book Tour
Sign up for Pauline Creeden‘s newsletter you’ll find out when the serial comes out and on the day of release it’s FREE! http://eepurl.com/Oe2Fn
Enter to win one of three swag packs. Open to US only. Fill out the form to
by Sarah | Aug 17, 2014 | Guest Authors, Guest Post, Writing
First, I want to thank Sarah’s StoryLines for inviting me here today and for helping to introduce my new release. More about that later. Right now I want to talk about…
Things to Include on a Character List…
I have to admit I’d never used a character list until my amazing agent, Dawn Dowdle with Blue Ridge Literary Agency, required one for each manuscript. Now, I don’t know how I’d survive without one!
Character lists are designed to help you remember what you’ve said and done in the first half of your book, or the first three books in a series, so that your characters continue to have the same color eyes, hair, and not age ten years in six months. Here are a few things I like to keep track of on mine:
- The driver’s license info—name (include full name and nickname if applicable), age, height, weight (maybe not in so many words), hair color, eye color, wears glasses or contacts
- Character roles in the story—is she Uncle Alvin’s twin brother’s stepsister? Is he the CEO of Floyd’s Storage Inc.? Or was it CFO? How long have they been there? And if you mentioned what they were doing before they got their current job, trust me, you’ll want to note it on your character list.
- Transportation—what kind of car does your character drive? Note the year, the color, and any other information you learn about it and mention the first time it appears…like what size engine it has or how many people it seats. That could be helpful later on when you try to transport six people in a car that only holds two.
- Dress—does your character wear Armani suits and ties or jeans and sexy, tight T-shirts? Cowboy boots? If your hero wears a baseball cap, it probably has a sports team emblem. What’s his team? Does your heroine prefer two inch heels? Or four inch? What colors do they look best in? Everyone dresses a little different.
- Guns—my genre is romantic suspense, so my characters carry guns. Each character has a preference, and the gun I put in his hand in the first book of the series better carry through to the last. On a related issue, that gunshot wound my character suffered in the last book…it needs to be on the same arm, leg, or shoulder in the next book. That’s one I didn’t write down, and now I have to go back and search for the answer.
The character list has saved my bacon, and my time, over and over again. I’m always coming up with new things to add to the list. Many times I learn things the hard way!
What about you? What’s on your character list?
*~*
| Amazon | BN | Kobo | iTunes |
Blurb
Assassin Alex Morgan will do anything to save an innocent life – especially if it means rescuing a child from a hell like the one she endured.
But going undercover as husband and wife, with none other than the disarmingly sexy Detective Nate Sanders, may be a little more togetherness than she can handle. She’s used to working alone, and no man is going to change that – not even a man who makes her heart pound and her defenses crumble with just a touch
Nate has dodged more than a few bullets over the years, but fighting his attraction for Alex may be the bullet that does him in. Still, Nate’s determined to help her find the missing kid. There’s no doubt in his mind that they’re walking straight into danger, but Nate’s willing to face anything if it means protecting Alex. She might have been on her own once, but Nate has one more mission: to stay by her side – forever.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/07/whatever-it-takes-trust-no-one-4-by.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21150710-whatever-it-takes
*~*
Author Info
DIXIE LEE BROWN lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by what she believes is the most gorgeous scenery anywhere. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who make sure she never takes herself too seriously. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, and trips to the beach.
Author Links
Website:http://www.dixiebrown.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dixie-Lee-Brown/311618418919108
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DixieLeeBrown
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583364.Dixie_Lee_Brown
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Print copy of another installment in Dixie Lee Brown’s Trust No One series, IF YOU ONLY KNEW—where you get to meet Alex and Nate for the first time!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Sarah | Aug 13, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
| Amazon | BN | Kobo | iTunes |
Blurb
The thrills continue in Lori Adams’s addictive series of paranormal romance—the Soulkeepers—featuring the hottest love triangle in this life . . . or the next.
Sophia St. James has every reason to be happy: she survived the kiss of death from the seductive Demon Knight Dante and is free to be with Michael, her sexy Guardian Angel. She eagerly begins her Awakening to become a Spirit Walker and help lost souls cross over. But her training is fraught with setbacks, and Michael begs her to stop. The life of a Spirit Walker is far too dangerous, and he won’t be able to protect her.
Then Dante returns, threatening to drag Sophia to Hell so they can finally be together. Terrified of losing everything she has worked for, Sophia turns the tables on Dante, luring him into a deception that may get them both killed. The stakes climb even higher when Dante’s ally, Wolfgang, emerges from Hell with one order: kill Sophia. Will Michael once again be Sophia’s saving grace or will the Awakening give her the power she needs to save herself?
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/07/awaken-soulkeepers-2-by-lori-adams.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20890093-awaken?from_search=true
*~*
Author Info
Lori Adams is the author of the Soulkeepers series: Forbidden, Awaken, and Unforgiven. She wrote her first book—about scary sharks—at the age of eight. Now she writes New Adult, young adult, and middle-grade fiction. Originally from Oklahoma, Adams lives in Southern California with her husband and two daughters.
Author Links
Website: http://loriadamsbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSoulkeepersSeries
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriAdams33
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1469861.Lori_Adams
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Grand Prize: Copy of FORBIDDEN, Book One in the Soulkeepers Series and a $25 Gift Card to eRetailer of choice )
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Sarah | Aug 12, 2014 | Author Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
Personal
- Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I have two lives: a scientist and a fantasy author. Some say this keeps both halves of my brain busy. This is probably true, judging by how difficult it is to keep up. I try to stay grounded by looking at the world through the eyes of my Majat warriors, all of them exceptional warriors with perfectly balanced minds–at least when it comes to fighting.
I do biomedical research and teach at major a university. None of these activities can possibly explain why I write fantasy in my spare time.
- Do you have a saying or motto for your life and/or as a writer?
Yes, my motto is “never give up”. I had to put it to the test many times, at it has never failed me yet.
- Where can people find you on the web? Where can they read more about your books?
www.annakashina.com (links to my blog at http://annakashinablog.wordpress.com/)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Kashina/215289654593
https://twitter.com/annakashina
Your Novel
“The Guild of Assassins” is the second stand-alone installment in my epic fantasy adventure series, which opened earlier this year with “Blades of the Old Empire”. On the action side, it is about a group of people fighting an ancient and very powerful magical order. On the emotion side, this book is of course about love. But then, on a big scale–what book isn’t?…
- What about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Personally, I love the concept of the Majat warriors, which are, essentially ninjas in the European setting. They are martial artists brought up and trained in a world that resembles medieval Europe, complete with armored knights and heavy weapons. When I developed this concept, I was curious at how they would fare against different kinds of opponents. I have to say, they tend to do surprisingly well.
My book features several of those warriors, whose occupation is somewhat similar to assassins, or sometimes elite guards for hire. It gives a glimpse of very personal sides of their lives. Readers who enjoy action with elements of romance evolving around highly skilled, notorious warriors, would hopefully like my book.
- Are the names of the characters in your novel important?
I do pay great attention to names when I create my characters. Usually, each particular character only has one name that fits him/her. Sometimes these names just pop up. Sometimes I have to go through a lot of variants to identify the right one. It can take days, even weeks, to name a character–and of course the name then drives the personality and therefore I cannot write until this is done. Characters with difficult names can become a holdback.
- How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?
You have to become your character to write from his/her point of view convincingly. I tend to think that each of their personalities is hidden somewhere inside me, but in truth some of them are nothing like me. It feels as if becoming possessed by someone when writing. Of course, I hope my good characters share a lot of my positive traits, but all these faults–no idea where they get that from! 🙂
- Who is your most unusual/most likeable character?
Mai, an assassin with a special skill to kill warriors of equal rank. He started as a secondary character in “Blades of the Old Empire”, but he quickly occupied the story and became the central character in “The Guild of Assassins”, even though he does not have a point of view. It has been rewarding for me to see some of his fans emerge after the release of the Blades. I hope these fans will feel rewarded when they read the current book.
- What was your favorite part or chapter, and why?
I have to say, in “The Guild of Assassins”, which has a very strong underlying romance story, I really enjoyed all the love scenes. There is a total of four in the book, and I just feel they all make so much sense. Writing these scenes was, of course, a very personal thing, I am not sure how many readers will share this feeling.
Among the non-romantic parts, my favorite chapter is called “Diplomacy”. In this chapter, two main characters, both rivals for the same woman’s affections, are locked together in a room and get to say whatever they want to each other. These two guys have amazing chemistry, I really enjoyed watching them get all these feelings off their chests.
Writing
- How many people (i.e. characters) have you done away with in the course of your career? Have you ever regretted killing one of them off?
Oh, well, this touches on a sensitive subject. I hope I am giving no spoilers by saying that I don’t believe in killing main characters. I don’t think I have ever read a book where this was justified or benefited the story in any way, no exceptions. I guess this probably says a lot right there about myself and my writing.
I do kill secondary characters sometimes, and I never feel good about it. Sometimes it is just necessary to the plot. I try not to do it too often.
- How much impact does your childhood have on your writing?
I was fortunate to be mentored by my amazing grandfather, Vladimir Keilis-Borok, who was my true soul mate and the man I credit with shaping me into the person I am. My serious writing started in high school, when he and I co-wrote a historical novel, “In the Name of the Queen”, published in Russian under pen names. He passed away last year, after “The Guild of Assassins” has been completed, and I dedicated “The Majat Code” series to him. He read, and loved, both books.
- What’s your writing schedule like? Do you strive for a certain amount of words each day?
I have an extremely crazy life with no time for anything, so I developed a habit of writing in short stretches every time I can sit down in front of my computer. Sometimes these stretches can be 10-minute long, but amazingly they still work. I do dream of having some uninterrupted time, but it only happens occasionally.
- How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?
Too many for my own good :-). And yes, I do keep a mental list. I also shift between them occasionally, even though I do try to stick to one major project at a time.
- What are you working on now?
I am finishing the edits on the prequel to the series, and working on the first draft of Book 3 of the Majat Code, tentatively titled “Assassin Queen”.
- Have you written any other books?
In addition to the Majat Code books, I wrote three other novels, all of them quite different from the current series. Full list can be found on my blog and web site at www.annakashina.com
Fun (Crazy, odd questions just for fun)
- Have you ever gone out in public in mis-matched shoes, or with your shirt on backward, and when you realized it just said ‘eh, screw it’?
Yes, I did wear mis-matched shoes once. I was in graduate school then. When I left home I was so deeply absorbed in a scientific problem that I did not notice putting on two different shoes. In the subway I looked down at my feet and saw that the color of the shoe laces did not match — I was wearing sneakers, one white and one gray with green laces. Somehow the color of the shoes escaped me, but the laces caught my eye. I remember thinking “I heard it is fashionable to wear shoe laces of different colors. I guess I am dressed fashionably today.” Then I went back to thinking on my scientific problem, and only when I arrived at work did I realize I was wearing different shoes. Possibly it wasn’t until after a co-worked pointed it out. At that time I thought, “Wow, I am acting like a true scientist”–and of course went back to thinking about science without giving it a second throught. Recalling this afterwards was funny, but during the whole episode it somehow all made perfect sense.
- Are you a neat freak? Or clutter-bound?
I used to be neat. Then something clicked and I became a clutterer (is there such a word?). It does not help that I like collecting things and never throw anything away. Ugh.
- If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Stopping the time, so that I could fit more things in a day. I would love to be able to heal and stop death, but that is against the rules, is it?
- Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten.
You don’t want to know :-). I am one of these people who would try anything if I was told it’s edible. This particular one was a kind of bean curd, fermented and flavored to taste and smell exactly like feces. I have no idea what possessed me to put a piece in my mouth, even though everyone around me was eating and enjoying it, but I could not wash off the smell for several days.
It was in China. By comparison, deep-fried scorpions I ate on another day, seemed very tasty and completely natural.
Quick Questions
- Sing in the rain or dance in the streets?
Dance in the streets for sure. I have done it, too.
A very particular type of soft ballpoint pen.
Summer. Despite growing up in Russia I am unable to tolerate cold. Not to mention those long nights I had too much of when I was little. Just seeing dusk at 4 pm makes me depressed.
Um. Both?…
DVD. I like to watch movies in the comfort of my own home, and I have issues with overly amplified sound.
- Facial hair or clean shaven?
Clean shaven, always. My readers may notice that any romantic hero I ever write about would have smooth skin and hairless chest. For some reason I can’t stand the thought of facial or body hair–romantically speaking, of course 🙂
- Fall leaves or Spring flowers?
Spring flowers. I like beginnings. I don’t like a sense of something coming to an end.
*~*
| Amazon | BN | Random House |
Blurb
Kara, an elite warrior from the Majat Guild, has escaped execution and achieved something that no Majat has ever managed – freedom from the Guild!
But the Black Diamond assassin Mai has been called back to face his punishment for sparing her life. Determined to join his fight or share his punishment, Kara finds herself falling for Mai.
Is their relationship – and the force that makes their union all-powerful – a tool to defeat the overpowering forces of the Kaddim armies, or a ploy sure to cause the downfall of the Majat?
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2014/06/now-booking-tasty-virtual-tour-for_7.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19325184-the-guild-of-assassins
Author Info
Anna Kashina grew up in Russia and moved to the United States in 1994 after receiving her Ph.D. in cell biology from the Russian Academy of Sciences. She works as a biomedical researcher and combines career in science with her passion for writing. Anna’s interests in ballroom dancing, world mythologies and folklore feed her high-level interest in martial arts of the Majat warriors. She is a recent medalist in the ForeWord Book of the Year and Independent Publishers Book Award contests.
Author Links
http://annakashinablog.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/annakashina
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Kashina/215289654593
Rafflecopter Giveaway (Print copy of BLADES OF THE OLD EMPIRE and THE GUILD OF ASSASSINS (US Only))
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Sarah | Aug 11, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
I didn’t plan to become a stripper who performs live sex shows. But that’s what happened. It’s what I do, and I’m good at it. I was going to go on and do something with my life. I was going to be something more than just a piece of ass. But that’s not how it worked it out.
Men don’t control me. Not anymore. Not until my best friend left and hecame into my life.
I don’t want lose myself and drown in another man. But I’m afraid it’s already too late.
**This book is intended for mature audiences only due to graphic depictions of sex and bad language.**
“I let you walk away, Julia. I let you go, but I can still take you back if I want.”
Four months ago I ran away. I left him behind. The man who stalked me, took control of my body, and claimed he loved me.
Now he’s returned. Like dripping razor blades, he has slashed his way back into my life. But everything is different.
He doesn’t want me anymore.
I expected him to come back, to be sorry. I even planned to forgive him. I should have known that he would discard me like everyone else in my life. But I’m going to change that.
My billionaire stalker has come to say goodbye…only this time I plan to keep him.
website
twitter username
Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks
.
To what lengths will a man go for the woman he loves?
