Free Fiction Friday #4

Hey guys! It’s that time again – Free Fiction Friday! So, while you enjoy your long Memorial Day weekend, here are some books to keep you company. This time around we’re doing Mysteries, Thrillers, and Suspense novels, all 4+ star ratings, completely 100% FREE on Amazon at the moment–so go snatch them up while you can.

Head To Head [Claire Morgan 1] – After moving from Los Angeles to rural Missouri, homicide detective Claire Morgan has at last adjusted to the peaceful rhythms of country life. Until a grisly celebrity murder at an ultra-exclusive health resort shatters a quiet summer morning. One of Dr. Nicholas Black’s high-profile clients, a beautiful young soap opera star, has been found dead. Back in L.A., Claire investigated the rich, famous, and the deadly, but she never expected the problems of the privileged to follow her to this sleepy small town, nor did she ever imagine crossing the line with her prime suspect. Immersed in the case, Claire finds herself drawn to the charismatic doctor, spending more and more time in his company, and in his bed. Now, to catch a killer, Claire will have to enter the darkest recesses of the human mind. But is Black leading her there to help her…or luring her ever deeper into a madman’s grip? A second storyline is about Brat, a victim of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, who at the age of fourteen began a killing spree. How this relates to the main story is yet another mysterious strand in this riveting thriller.

Noble Beginnings [Noble Novel 1] – In March of 2002, while the eyes of the world focused on Afghanistan, Jack Noble finds himself on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq. A Marine in name only, Jack is on-loan to the CIA. Normally an integral part of the team, he finds that he is nothing more than a security detail in Iraq.

Jack and his partner Bear have a run-in with four CIA special agents over the treatment of an Iraqi family. Within hours Jack and Bear are detained.

All Jack wanted was to finish his enlistment and move on with his life. All he did was intervene and save a family from unwarranted violence at the hands of four CIA agents. But he soon discovers that he did far more than intervene. He has placed himself dead square in the middle of a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Knockout! – Interpol cop, Anna Leyton, spirals down into a hopeless vortex of sexual and emotional passion as she fights to keep her professional cool. Who is deceiving whom in this fast moving ride across continents? What motivates her art loving prize-bull of a lover Freddie La Salle? The power of love and trust stands against greed and crime as conflicting forces grapple for that knockout punch.

The Blade [Mafia Trilogy 2] – The safe house where Darwin and Rosina live is attacked. Five FBI agents are dead. Darwin Kostas has nowhere to turn, no one he can trust.

Darwin’s phobias cause him great stress and now the media are calling him The Blade, even though he can’t stand the sight of knives.

The FBI are hunting him. The Gambino family, violent mobsters associated with Italy’s La Cosa Nostra, want to know who he works for before they execute him.

Darwin just wants to be left alone with his new wife so they can begin a domestic life, but that is not possible with so many people wanting him dead.

With evidence piling up against him, a crazed, half-blind FBI agent on his tail, and a relentless mobster planning Darwin’s violent end, the only thing he has left to lose is his life.

Meanwhile, the Russian Mafia are moving into new territory in Toronto. They want to know who this Darwin guy is and why he is still breathing. When they show up to take possession of his body, Darwin has one surprise left for the mobsters before he dies.

Gabe’s Plan – Gabe Mapel is the young District Attorney of Pine Springs, Colorado–winter playground to the rich and famous. Gabe has long suffered from depression, but recently his mental health has worsened. He thinks a spirit from the past is telling him to make a name for himself and grab political power by prosecuting movie star Chad Tibbs for a crime he didn’t commit. With a mark as rich and powerful as Chad, however, Gabe will need an accomplice. Fortunately for Gabe, a cute barista at the coffee shop Chad frequents is in love with Gabe and would make the perfect accomplice. Unfortunately for the cute barista, if she wants to win Gabe’s affection, she’ll have to seduce Chad Tibbs and falsely accuse him of doing very bad things.

Goddess of the Moon – Psychic Diana Racine and her boyfriend, Lieutenant Ernie Lucier of the New Orleans Police Department, are drawn into a baby kidnapping case. Clues lead first to a hospital worker, then to Brother Osiris, the head of a homeless shelter, and finally to some of the richest men in the state. A combination of mysticism, mythology, and the black arts lures Diana and Ernie even deeper into a plot that puts both their lives in danger.

Furies – 36 AD – The city of Alexandria is a center of Roman commerce—and a sinful playground for the pleasure-seeking rich and powerful.

For wealthy merchant Decimus Tarquitius Aculeo, however, Alexandria has become a living hell. Ruined by a string of mysterious investment disasters, abandoned by friends and family, Aculeo is desperate to recover his wealth and status.

Aculeo’s search for the reasons behind his downfall draws him into a web of violence. A common slave is found murdered in the magnificent temple of the god Serapis. Days later, the brutalized body of a high-priced hetaira is discovered floating in a canal, after an evening entertaining the city’s elite. The grim truth soon becomes clear: A ruthless killer is moving among Alexandria’s aristocrats, commercial titans, and philosophers.
Ominous clues connect those murders to Aculeo’s own quest. Aided by an Egyptian mortuary attendant, a brilliant philosopher, an exotic hetaira, and his last remaining friends, Aculeo must unmask and stop a deadly murderer if he is ever to reclaim the life he has lost.

But first, he must survive…

I Hope You Find  Me – Life for Riley ends when her young children die in her arms…victims of a global viral outbreak that claims the lives of everyone she’s ever known. Left to fend for herself with only a dog as her companion, she sets out on a journey to find others, leaving notes everywhere she goes…hoping that one day someone will come looking for her. When Riley meets the handsome yet mysterious Connor on the streets of Downtown San Diego, they form a bond unlike either has experienced before. When the things that go bump in the night turn out to be more than nightmares, the trio sets off for the mountains in search of an isolated resort where they can hunker down, away from the ominous shadows of the dead city streets. The peace and tranquility of the woods isn’t enough to keep the darkness away for long though and soon Riley and Connor are forced to accept that the World and the few people left alive in it will never be the same. The shadows of their past may haunt them forever…threatening to destroy what little dreams they have left of a future unless they fight to stay in the light and never lose their hope.

It’s Nothing Personal – Anesthesiologist, Dr. Jenna Reiner, was blindsided on a January morning by an incident that would forever change her life. A scrub technician at her hospital was stealing narcotics from anesthesiologists, injecting those same narcotics into her veins, and returning the contaminated syringes, knowing they would be used on patients. The scrub tech was infected with hepatitis C, a deadly virus.

Unknowingly, anesthesiologists at St. Augustine Hospital were injecting their patients with hepatitis C laden syringes. When Dr. Jenna Reiner administered anesthesia, she was holding a murder weapon in her hands. Dr. Reiner was about to find out that not only was her hospital at risk, but her entire life was about to be turned upside down. The scrub tech’s addiction evolved into a public health scare, potentially affecting thousands. Unfortunately, on that fateful day, Dr. Reiner and her patient fell victim to an addict.

The ensuing medical malpractice suit filed by Allison Anders, a ruthless attorney, becomes a battle for survival for Jenna and her family. For Dr. Reiner, the lawsuit is personal. Jenna Reiner faces more demons than she thought imaginable as she fights against greed, brutality, accusations, and a corrupt legal system. Will Dr. Reiner prevail? Or will the system win?

Inspired by true events, IT’S NOTHING PERSONAL is a story of endurance and pain beyond imagination.

Bad Radio [The Element Earth 1] – Sixty years ago Abe Griffin saved the world and gained eternal youth.

Or so he thought.

Now, a man that Abe thought long dead is killing the surviving members of Abe’s old squad in order to reclaim the relics that they have kept hidden for decades.

The relics form an ancient beacon that must never be used, in a ritual that must never be completed. But the end of the world requires more than just activating the beacon.

It requires Abe.

With help from the granddaughter of his oldest friend, Abe must learn the truth about his immortal body, while at the same time trying to stop a horrifying series of supernatural opponents from sweeping away everything that he cares about.

Is it Friday Again? Seriously?

It is going to be a long day of catch-up. For whatever reason, my WordPress reader has been completely inaccessible for this entire week. It’s finally back up, but that means I have at least a hundred articles to read through in order to catch up. *thumbs up* I’ve also got 3 reviews that are waiting to be posted (I didn’t want to post them while my reader was down, just in case everyone else’s was too). I haven’t decided if I’ll post them all at once or space them out yet. That’s a lot of writing for one day. I also need to get Free Fiction Friday up sometime today.

So I guess, stay tuned. I may be spending my entire day just sitting on WordPress.

On a completely unrelated note, did anyone catch the Geek & Sundry Vlogs hangout last night? No? It was awesome. I got to ask a question, had my name shouted out by Felicia Day, and subsequently, everyone talked about the zombie apocalypse for 10 minutes. The geek in me squealed.

Free Fiction Friday #3

Yup, it’s that time again: Friday! Which means more free books for you to enjoy over the weekend. All of these boks are currently 100% free on Amazon, so grab them while you can. They’re all 4+ Stars in rating.

This week I’ll be sharing some YA Horror:

Scary Mary – Mary just wants to be left alone, but the cheerleaders, jocks, guidance counselors, and ghosts won’t stop harassing her. When a new boy starts school, he surprises Mary by befriending her. That’s a rare thing for the school freak, but her unusual abilities put a rift in their budding friendship when Mary has to tell Shy that his home is haunted and not by Casper, the friendly ghost. Mary has to get rid of the ghost, thwart the school bully, do her homework, and not get detention. Mary’s sure she can do all of that except for the last part.

 

 

 

The Deepest Cut [MacKinnon Curse 1] – Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother’s life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she’s somehow responsible for her mom’s death, Riley is desperate to see her mother’s elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness.

When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn’t get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley’s falling hard for Ian.

Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she’s not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she’ll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.

 

Darkhouse [Experiment In Terror 1] – Enter the world of the highly-acclaimed Experiment in Terror Series by visiting…the Darkhouse:

There’s always been something a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been dealing with a quarter-life crisis and post-college syndrome like any other twenty-something, she’s still not what you would call “ordinary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts.

Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming webcast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. Her uncle’s haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and backdrop for a mystery that unravels the threads of Perry’s fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

 

Gravity [Gravity 1] – A lost friend, a new love, and a town full of secrets… One night in the town of Hell, Ariel’s best friend goes missing. Those around her believe Jenna ran away, but when Ariel is tormented by nightmares and paranormal activity, she realizes Jenna’s disappearance was part of a bigger mystery. Ariel’s obsession with haunted houses and horror movies makes her the perfect detective.

But to complicate matters, a handsome newcomer named Henry Rhodes plagues her with unwanted attention. Though he doesn’t believe in the supernatural events, she enlists his help and that of quirky nerd Theo. What is making the lights at school flicker? And why did Ariel dream of the old abandoned Dexter orphanage? When Ariel finally discovers the truth, it’s much worse than she ever feared.

 

Sophie’s Secret [Whispers 1] – After shedding 30 pounds of baby fat, Sophie Sinora has grown into a pretty, but insecure, teen in bloom. To make her life more complicated, Sophie can sometimes read minds.

Sophie’s BFFs, AJ and Krysta, are also ‘gifted’ with paranormal abilities. Keeping their gifts secret proves difficult, as their powers are strengthening, making them feel more and more like freaks.

When Sophie falls for Jacob, she hopes he’ll ask her out to the Freshman Formal. But when she’s forced to cheat and lie for him, she wonders how far she’ll have to go to make him like her. Add to her growing list of problems – her teacher’s suicidal thoughts, a locker bully who wants to kick her butt, the hot school flirt who won’t stop teasing her, her pregnant sister who boots Sophie out of her room, and the growing tension between Sophie and her best friends.

Sophie’s got issues. Hopefully, she can fix them in time to save her teacher’s life and her social life.

 

Beautiful Demons [Peachville High Demons 1] – Harper Madison isn’t like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she’s lost count. Shadowford Home is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs. But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.

 

 

 

 

Bound [Arelia LaRou 1] – Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.

When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.

However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

 

Brightest Kind of Darkness [BKoD 1] – Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

 

The Medium [Emily Chambers Spirit Medium 1] – Seventeen year-old spirit medium Emily Chambers has a problem. Actually, she has several. As if seeing dead people isn’t a big enough social disadvantage, she also has to contend with an escaped demon and a handsome ghost with a secret past. And then there’s the question of her parentage. Being born an entire year after her father’s death (yes, a year) and without the pale skin of other respectable English ladies, Emily is as much a mystery as the dead boy assigned to her.

Jacob Beaufort’s spirit has been unable to crossover since his death. It might have something to do with the fact he was murdered. Or it might not. All he knows is, he has been assigned by the Otherworld’s administrators to a girl named Emily. A girl who can see and touch him. A girl who released a shape-shifting demon into the mortal realm. Together they must send the demon back before it wreaks havoc on London. It should be a simple assignment, but they soon learn there’s nothing simple when a live girl and a dead boy fall in love.

 

Dark Matter Heart [DMH Vampire Trilogy 1] – A new town. A new school. A new beginning. Seventeen year-old Cordell Griffin and his mother move from Los Angeles to the Pacific Northwest to deal with his “allergies,” and start a healthier new life. Cor has one goal: To blend in and be invisible. Unfortunately for him, no matter how far he goes, he can’t run away from his secrets. Secrets about who he is. Secrets about why he’s sick. And secrets about why so many people he meets end up dead, drained of blood.

Editing... What Does It Mean?

Reblogged from Diamond State Romance Authors:

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As some of you might know, I frequent a board that has a lot of new and young writers. It can be interesting to see some of the same questions I had as a new writer coming up, time and time again. It's a reminder of what it felt like to be new and hungry, looking for that first toehold. It's also a reminder that I've come a long way in the past 5 years.

Read more… 1,897 more words

Diamond State Romance Authors shares with us some helpful reminders and tips about editing. Great to keep at hand!

Book Review: Waiting For Morning

Title: Waiting For Morning [The Brides of Last Chance Ranch 1896]

Author: Margaret Brownley

Genre: Christian, Historical, Romance

Rating: 5 Stars

Available on Amazon for $8.79 (Digital) , $30.99 (Hardcover), $11.38 (Paperback)

You can visit Waiting For Morning on Goodreads too!

Description/Synopsis: Molly Hatfield comes to Arizona Territory seeking stability and security. But living in Cactus Patch provides her with more than she ever dreamed of.

There is nothing Molly wouldn’t do for her teenaged brother, Donny. Blaming herself for the accident that left him wheel-chair bound, Molly has dedicated her life to his care. But in 1896, gainful employment for a woman is hard to come by. So when Molly learns that an eccentric rancher in Cactus Patch, Arizona, is looking for an heiress–someone to take over management of the ranch in exchange for future ownership–she jumps at the chance to provide a real home for her brother.

If she proves to have a knack for ranching and agrees to remain single for life, the ranch can be hers. Neither stipulation worries Molly. She’s resourceful and hardworking. And she gave up dreams of marriage long ago when she dedicated her life to her brother’s well-being.

However, Molly didn’t bank on meeting Dr. Caleb Fairbanks, the town’s handsome and charismatic young doctor. Caleb has a way with Molly that makes her nervous. But it’s how he is with her brother that really alarms her. Caleb sees past the wheelchair and genuinely likes Donny, but Molly fears he’s putting unrealistic ideas into her brother’s head. Falling in love with Caleb would threaten everything she’s worked for, even her brother’s future happiness.

But it could be the very reason God brought her to Last Chance Ranch.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

Let me start off by saying, this book was phenomenal. The writing was clear and easy to follow, the story was engaging, and I was utterly astounded by the knowledge of the author pertaining to the time period. 1896 was very nearly the turn of the century and things like light bulbs, the telegraph, and the first cars were just making their way into existence. It’s not a time I’ve seen a lot of historical writers delve into, and I found it fascinating. It was really great to see the character’s reactions to the new technology of the day, and the way everyone stared at the very first car like it was the most absurd thing they’d ever heard of. I couldn’t get enough.

The characters in this story were very believable. They had different motivations and ways of handling things that really added a sense of depth to each of them. I laughed at the cowboy’s nicknames, but at the same time I saw them as real people. So rarely do I see a book who’s characters were written so well. Donny and Molly had to be my favorite out of the bunch, but mostly, Donny. It’s strange to come across a story where my favorite character is not one of the main characters, but I think the author did a great job of building Donny as a character. Here was this 14 yr old kid stuck in a wheelchair in a time where being crippled pretty much made you an invalid. He was angry and demanding, and helpless, but as the story went along, he grew as a character and really pushed forward to overcome the limits he’d been given. I was cheering him on the whole story.

The romance also seemed to be handled in a really appropriate way, I thought. There seems to be this running trend in historical romance that the romances always have to be passionate and rule-breaking… but rather than go that direction, Ms. Brownley made Molly and Caleb’s romance what it should be. It was endearing, slow, and sweet. That’s how romance was in those days for the most part for propriety’s sake, and I think the author did a fantastic job on showing that, but at the same time, not shoving it off in a corner.

What struck me the most about this story, however, was the amazing detail. The author had a way of painting a scene with little bits of hidden information that you hardly noticed, but put together, made me feel like I was in book. I felt the heat of the Arizona desert and the dust in the air. I could smell the cowhide warming in the sun. The narrative was so fluid and seamless – just as any great narrative should be – that it virtually disappeared.

Another thing that stuck out at me, was the religious portion of this book. This was a Christian historical romance, and of course, the character’s faith was constantly mentioned. Not being a religious person, these kind of things often stick out at me more than most, and sometimes, outright bother me. I’ve read some christian romances where the author practically shoved their religious beliefs down my throat with page after page of quoting the bible. That didn’t happen here. The author did exactly what she should have done: she let the character’s beliefs and discovery of their spirituality speak for itself. Through the telling of the story, you got a firm, but not pushy understanding of how these characters were learning about their own beliefs, and I think it was an appropriate and beautiful way to tell that part of the story. It honestly didn’t bother me in the least, and I wouldn’t have any problem picking up another one of Ms. Brownley’s books.

Overall, I really liked the book. The only thing that bothered me even a little was the fact that Molly had to give up her place on the ranch in the end. I really would have liked to see the contract amended, but I guess in the end I understand. Molly wasn’t much of a cattle-lover, and it wouldn’t have been the best choice. I was just cheering for her anyway.  I’d really recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good historical romance. Doesn’t matter if you’re religious at all or not. It was really well written, and an endearing romantic read.

Book Review: Superb and Sexy

Title: Superb and Sexy [Sky High Series 3]

Author: Jill Shalvis

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Rating: 4 Stars

Available on Amazon for $5.38 (Digital), $10.99 (Paperback), $7.19 (Mass Market Paperback)

You can visit Superb and Sexy on Goodreads too!

Description/Synopsis: Despite his brooding bad-boy attitude, Brody knows life has treated him pretty well. His luxury charter airline, Sky High, has given him financial security and the means to take to the skies whenever things on the ground get complicated. And lately, things have become very complicated, thanks to the insanely passionate, or perhaps just insane, kiss he shared with Sky High’s gorgeous, wisecracking concierge, Maddie. He’s tried to keep his distance, but now Maddie desperately needs help, and it’s triggering protective alpha-male urges Brody didn’t even know he had…

For months, Maddie hid her crush on sexy, exasperating Brody behind a cool, kick-ass exterior…and then blew that to smithereens by jumping him in the lobby. Yeah, real smooth. She’s tried to break her ties with Sky High, but Brody won’t let her walk away—especially now that he knows that Maddie and her twin sister Leena are in big-time trouble. To save Leena, Maddie and Brody must pose as husband and wife, and Maddie is amazed that the man she thought was oblivious to her existence knows her very well indeed. But that’s nothing compared to the way she’s about to get to know him—intimately, in depth, and over and over again…

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

So let’s start with the cover and title: They don’t really have much to do with the actual book. It’s marketing for the most part, so try not to take it too heavily in your book buying decisions. Once I’d actually gotten into the book, I was a little disappointed to realize that the cover did not reflect Maddie’s appearance/personality. Sure, at one point she does have short, auburn hair… but she’s one of those characters who changes her hair color almost daily. We’re talking, blues, purples, weird colors. It would have been cool to see some of that spunk in the models.

That aside, this was a very good book. The narrative and dialogue were extremely well written and the story flowed easily from page to page. I never felt like I was being rushed or jolted out of the story, and the story kept me turning the page.

The characters, particularly Maddie, were spunky, unique, and entertaining. I really liked Maddie and Brody. They were a cute couple, and you could definitely feel the attraction between the characters. The sex scenes were sizzling. Really, there isn’t much I can say that isn’t positive about them, except that perhaps Maddie’s personality seemed a bit off to me.

From the very beginning of the book we’re told that she’s kind of the duct-tape that holds Sky High Airlines together. She’s tough, quirky, and confident – and definitely unique in her appearance. Unfortunately, I don’t think I saw as much of that as I’d like to. There was very little interaction with the Airline or the other members of the crew at all. From nearly the beginning she’s been toned down into a normal-looking girl and spending all her time panicking about things from her past and present concerning her family (that apparently no one knew she had). What I saw, was a fairly normal-in-appearance girl who was stubborn, but afraid. Very afraid. Of her relationship with Brody, as well as her past experiences with her family. I didn’t see the confident quirky girl I kept being told about.

Now as a little aside, I also had some trouble being convinced she was a twin. I can’t blame the author much for this – because unless you are a twin, you wouldn’t know these things. I happen to be an identical twin, so I know the shoes that Maddie is trying to fill. I honestly don’t think an identical twin (who obviously still very dearly cared for her sister) would have left her in that situation with her uncle.. even to protect herself. Writers don’t seem to get that the bond between twins is extremely strong – I know people always describe it as “being the other half of a person” but they aren’t far off. Twins are together every second of the day from the time they’re born to the time they’re an adult for the most part. They have all the same memories, have been through the same experiences and conversations… They’re almost the same person, just viewing the world through a slightly different viewpoint. It was odd to see Maddie leave her sister Leena behind. It was also really weird to see that no one she knew had any idea she had a twin. Take it from me, even if you leave your twin (like I did to move half-way across the country), you will still refer to yourself as “we” in conversation. It’s a byproduct of always being together all the time. It’s very hard to separate the “I” from experiences shared. Even to this day, 10 years after leaving my twin, when I refer to my childhood I say “we”. I had a hard time believing Maddie was really a twin… but like I said, maybe that’s because some of these points just aren’t known to anyone who isn’t already a twin.

Also, another sore point I had, was that it was never really explained why Maddie’s uncle Rick hated her so much. He seemed to want to kill her on sight, but other than having left when she was 16… there doesn’t seem to be a reason for him to hate her to that extent. Sadly, most of the tension in the book was based around the fact that he wanted to kill her.

Overall, it was a great book. It was a fun, steamy read. The things I found wrong with it were minor, and only detracted from the story a little bit. I’d definitely still recommend it to anyone looking for a slightly unconventional romance.

I Took Friday Off – A Rant.

Well, I may as well have. This week was one of those weeks where nothing seems to go right. I got sick over the weekend, so I felt like crap for most of the week. My Wacom Tablet I use to draw with decided to die. Only it “sort of” died–more like it went on strike. It completely stopped responding, and when I finally got it to respond, it refused to work in the only program that matters: SAI, which is my paint program. Thank you Wacom.

So for now, my commissions are on hold, redlines I was doing are on hold… and then mid-week my internet went out. Only it wasn’t just my internet – it was my cable too. Apparently Time Warner Cable had a cable break somewhere along the line. It’s fixed now, thank goodness, but just in time for a massive hail/rain/thunder storm that rolled in this afternoon. I’m waiting for my lights to go out…because when you live in an old decrepit house, someone breathing too hard can send the lights out.

Yah, it’s been one of those weeks.

So for now, I’m going to take the weekend, rest, read some books, play some games, and catch up on laundry so I can roll up my sleeves and get to fixing things next week. *thumbs up*

Book Review: Fate

Title: Fate [Timeless Trilogy 1]

Author: Tallulah Grace

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery

Rating: (2.5 rounded up to) 3 Stars

Available on Amazon for FREE for a limited time

You can visit Fate on Goodreads too!

Description/Synopsis: Is precognition a prescription for happiness or disaster?

The good things in life are coming together for Kristina Collins. She’s found her ideal home, her career is on track for mega success and the man of her dreams has finally come back into her life.

In Fate, the first installment of the Timeless Trilogy, Kris Collins discovers the benefits and risks of having precognitive visions while being stalked by a serial killer. Her friends can’t help her, the FBI can’t save her; she must save herself.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

There were some parts of this book that I found well done, and some that obviously could have been done better. To begin with, I found the writing clear and engaging (minus the several instances where a word was left out of a sentence and it made no sense, or the wrong word was used):

• “Since when are so religious minded?”
• That’s lets out Charleston.
• “have a lot to be desired.”

I was able to put the book down at multiple points, and pick it right back up again with little problem. The story kept me turning the pages, which is an awfully hard thing to do sometimes, but there were certain aspects of the story that were amazingly cliche, and I found they detracted a bit from my immersion. Fate is a romance/mystery about a girl who’s being stalked by a serial killer, and has just found herself living next door to the love of her life from years past.

Unfortunately, the “bad guy” Damien, was one of the most cliche bad guys ever. I have a supreme hatred of serial-killer characters that have the depth of a puddle, and Damien was no exception. The author never explained why he was killing women, how he picked them, or what he did with them afterwards. None of his back-story was explained, or even why he was drawn to this particular character. In fact, as the story starts, he’s already been stalking the main female lead, Kris, for quite a while. Every time the story skipped over into Damien’s head, I found his actions creepy (as they should be) but his voice was almost comical. He was silly. I didn’t get that vibe of “menacing” from him that I was expecting.

The other characters, like Damien, held little depth. In fact, some of the secondary characters (Kris’ friends) only showed up once or twice and were never seen from again, despite the fact that her life was in danger.

As far as the plot was concerned, I honestly think the story would have been better had the entire romance been dropped out of it. Kris has been living in her beach-home for several months when her former-boyfriend from years ago suddenly moves in next door. It’s a little convenient, but I’d have let it slide–except this is also the boyfriend that she broke up with because (and here’s the cliche part) a female friend of theirs was jealous and broke them apart by telling them both lies. Of course, like every other cliche-romance couple, instead of talking to each other, they both skipped out on the relationship. It took them about a day to figure out they were both lied to and to suddenly fall back in love despite years of being separated. At this point, with the stalking becoming an ever-present danger, the main male lead, practically moves in with Kris, and together they work to thwart her stalker. It certainly wasn’t anything original.

In the end, both of them get kidnapped by the stalker (despite the police help… who were amazingly unprofessional in all of this and started coming over for dinner daily rather than doing their jobs) and Kris ends up shooting the stalker with a gun he somehow didn’t notice she had with her.

The whole thing was one predictable plot device after another. Not to mention (and I almost forgot to!) the main character was a precog and had frequent visions of the future. Her visions had absolutely no bearing on the story what so ever except to give us spoilers about what we had already guessed was about to happen – effectively becoming redundant. If there had been any surprises in store, they would have been ruined by her constant visions. Needless to say, there were no surprises in this book.

Honestly, the whole story was a mess. There were so many ways this could have been tightened up into a really engaging thriller/mystery, but it seemed like the author was always going for the convenient plot devices that we’ve already seen done hundreds of times before instead. The story could have stood on it’s own as just a thriller/mystery if the romance had been dropped out. It could have stood alone as a romance had the thriller/mystery been dropped out– and the entire thing could have stood without the precognition tid-bit, but together, all of those aspects combined to make a needless mess of information. What could have been a solid story, turned out weak. Was it still a fun little read? Yes. I did find it entertaining despite it’s flaws, and it read fast enough that I could have taken it on a bus or to a doctor’s office. Would I recommend it to anyone else? No, not really. It was an okay story, but it wasn’t anything special.

in The Mail #13

I was completely floored today when I checked the mail. Sitting outside on my porch was a rather large box – too large for just one book, I thought. I knew I had some books coming in the mail soon that I’d won in various Goodreads Giveaways, but it still struck me as rather strange. Nevertheless, it was marked “Media Mail” and my name was scrawled across it in beautiful cursive, so I took it inside, and after several minutes of wrestling with the tape, managed to get it open.

The box weighed a TON, and when I popped open the cardboard lid, inside I found not one, not two, not three, but FOUR signed books by the lovely Caroline Clemmons along with a very pretty post card. I’d won Blue Bonnet Bride in the goodreads giveaway, but had no idea just how generous Ms. Clemmons was planning to be.

Anyways, the books are:

• Brazos Bride [Men of Stone Mountain 1]
• High Stakes Bride [Men of Stone Mountain 2]
• Bluebonnet Bride [Men of Stone Mountain 3]
• Out of the Blue

I’m so excited to start reading these, they’ve all gotten great reviews on Goodreads. This may have made my week. :3

The Author Exploitation Business

Reblogged from David Gaughran:

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Writing is a glamorous occupation - at least from the outside. Popular depictions of our profession tend to leave out all the other stuff that comes with the territory: carpal tunnel syndrome, liver failure, penury, and madness.

Okay, okay, I jest. I love being a writer. Sharing stories with the world and getting paid for it is bloody brilliant. It's a dream job, and like any profession with a horde of neophytes seeking to break in, there are plenty of sharks waiting to chew them to bits.

Read more… 1,861 more words

Something all aspiring-to-be-published authors should be aware of. The word needs to spread.