Cassie Scot Mystery Series Tour #GF_CassieScot

I would like to welcome Christine Amsden to my blog today. She's here to tell you about her Cassie Scot Mystery Series with a post, excerpt and giveaway! She will be awarding a $50 Amazon or BN GC to one randomly selected commenter.

The hardest part about writing is…

Letting a story go. I'm working on a spin-off sequel to the Cassie Scot series right now – the one for her friend, Madison. The rough draft is finished, but it needs a lot of work. I just heard back from a critiquer whose insights will help me make the story what it needs to be so at the moment I don't have a terrible rough draft. I have a world of possibilities.

At some point in the life of every story, you have to decide it's done. Not that it's perfect – there's no such thing – but that it's done. Your story remains open to scrutiny and critique, only now it's a fixed point. Immutable. With luck, many will love it, but even if they do there will always be a point in the future when you wish you could just go back and tweak this one little thing here.

Letting go is a transition from what may be to what is. And that is the hardest part about writing for me.

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

Cassie Scot, still stinging from her parents’ betrayal, wants out of the magical world. But it isn’t letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite everything, it looks like she may be the only one who can save them.

To complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her to deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they team up to find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin their hopes for happiness.

Excerpt ~ Book One

My parents think the longer the name, the more powerful the sorcerer, so they named me Cassandra Morgan Ursula Margaret Scot. You can call me Cassie.

I've been called a lot of things in my life: normal, ordinary, and even a disappointment. After the Harry Potter books came out, a couple of people called me a squib. Since I haven't read them, I have to assume it's a compliment.

Personally, I prefer normal, which is why the sign on my office door reads: Cassie Scot, Normal Detective.

You have to understand that around here, when your last name is Scot, people are easily confused. Not only are my parents powerful practitioners, but I have six talented brothers and sisters. Plus, my family hasn't always been known for its subtlety. When weird stuff happens around here, the people who are willing to believe in magic are prone to suspect the Scots.

The day I opened for business I got a call from an old woman who swore her cat was possessed by the devil. She also swore she'd read my web site, which clearly stated the types of work I did and did not do. Exorcisms were on the No list, and while I hadn't specified pet exorcisms, I would have thought it was implicit.

~*~*~

Award-winning author Christine Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a touch of the strange or unusual. She became a “serious” writer in 2003, after attending a boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly afterward, then penned The Immortality Virus, which won two awards. Expect many more titles by this up-and-coming author.

Website: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/
Blog: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?page_id=200
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030664.Christine_Amsden
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Winter's Heat by Cristin Harber

Welcome! Today I'm featuring WINTER'S HEAT by Cristin Harber. I hope you'll take the time to check out this wonderful book. And don't forget to leave Cristin a comment. Not just because she'd love to hear from you, because Cristin will be awarding a $25 GC to Victoria’s Secret, and gifted e-copies of the five titles in the series (starting w/ Winters Heat. Three novels and two novellas) to one randomly drawn commenter during this tour AND the Virtual Super Book Blast tour.

After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.

Colby Winters, an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.

When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.

Excerpt: 

Setup- Colby Winters and Mia Kensington are waiting for her attackers to make another move. They’re trying to appear distracted outside a motel room, as if they let their guard down.

What was it like? Oh, man. He had a thing for her in a bad way. Winters bent his head toward her. Their foreheads kissed, and there was no question. While she was with him, she was his. His to protect. His to savor. A woman like Mia was rare. At least he had brains enough to notice.

He never should’ve put her in this position. He could’ve packed her off in a plane, back toward the East Coast. Someone from Titan could’ve kept her safe while he finished his original job. But selfishness and curiosity made it so he wouldn’t push her away. He couldn’t, because an irrepressible desire consumed him, powering lust through his veins.

“Colby.” Her hushed whisper tickled his skin. “What are we going to do?”

His pulse thumped in his neck, and he tightened the forearm wrapped around her waist, melding her onto him.

I’m on the job. Serious danger ahead.

He’d missed it before and couldn’t let that happen again. No time for arousal. No time for fantasies.

Images flooded his brain, searing his senses. He remembered the taste of her tongue. Red-hot cinnamon. A sweet, delicious burn of aphrodisia.

What were they going to do? Where to begin... A million ideas popped to mind, starting with making good use of the wall behind him.

No woman had pressed against him like this, so pliable, supple, and luscious. They had always draped him like sex kittens on steroids. Those other women were as over-sexed and one-dimensional as they were obvious, all self-fulfilling prophecies, and they were the definitive opposite of Mia Kensington.

Before Mia’s hands explored him, before her beautiful body had even disrobed, she toyed with his mind like it was the first of many playgrounds. And he wanted to play so bad.

“I’ve started a list.” His lips flitted over hers. “Want me to share?”

Her eyelashes fluttered. “What kind of list?”

“I have you thirty feet from a bed. What kind of list do you—” A drunken couple stumbled out of the bar. Actually, more likely a john and a pro. He should have seen them before he heard them. “More on the list later, doll.”

Men were coming to hurt her, and his hard-on could pick another time for games.

“Okay, Mia, here’s what we’re going to do. When they pull up, act like we let loose. We had too many drinks.” He motioned to the karaoke bar with a tip of his head, then dipped his lips to her neck, lingering under her ear. “I’m convincing you to come to my room. You’re not putting up too much of a fight. Just enough to keep it fun.”

He nipped her earlobe, and she took a tiny gasp. It made his gut jump. Her taste drugged him, intoxicated him. Temptation was a cruel mistress. Giving him a little and making him wait.

“That’s your plan?”

“Not my whole plan, no. But that’s the part you have to play.” He traced the slide of her neck. “Think you can act mildly interested?”

“You’re crazy.” Her voice was husky. “Men are trying to kill us. How can you think about sex?”

“You’re not?”

“I’m… I’m—”

“You’re what? I’m getting into character. You should give it a try.”

“You’re rubbing your hard-on against me, is what you’re doing.”

“All part of my cover. Believable, huh?” Her innocent act was toast. She was far more like Jessica Rabbit than Snow White. “If I tried to drag you off to bed right this second, you wouldn’t join me?”

There was only one answer. He knew it. Felt it as sure as he felt her body mold against him. She couldn’t fight their hunger either.

Her breaths escalated. The quick rise and fall of her breasts fueled him. Winters cupped her chin in his hands, palms caressing her cheeks. Sweet Mia. If he could freeze this moment, it’d be one he’d put on repeat.

“I would,” she whispered. “But…”

“Forget everything else. It’s just you and me.” He thumbed her lips, dragging the bottom one down.

Slowly, his hands drifted into her hair. Lust hung heavy in the cool night air. Her dark lashes fluttered, and her hard nipples pressed against his chest.

How beautiful would she be naked? How would she feel? Impossibly smooth. He would whisk across her sensitive spots, watching those succulent breasts rise and fall in anticipation. He would make sure she ached for him. As much as he ached now.

His fingers tangled into her hair, and Mia leaned her head back, heavy lidded and heady breaths.

“Shouldn’t you watch for the bad guys instead of torturing me?” Her eyes were sealed shut, defenseless.

His lips grazed her neck, and she purred, the sinful sound acting as a deft stroke to his already engorged shaft.

“You don’t think I can multi-task?” He kissed behind her ear, dancing his mouth down her neck. It was a tease. A simple promise of what was to come. When he had a moment to concentrate on her, he’d do whatever it took—lick, kiss, caress, and suck—to make her cry out for him.

His fingers slid to her nape, trailing to the front of her shirt. The fabric felt fragile under his palms. He was losing a battle to a ripped shirt on a pretty girl, but revenge would be amazing.

“How can you do this,” she nudged her head down to where he nuzzled his erection, “and pay attention to anything else?”

“Can you imagine what it’s going to be like between us when I don’t have to worry about anyone but you?”

.....

Amazon: http://amzn.to/18mlNVe
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ful6Rf
iTunes: http://bit.ly/19KIAdD
B&N: http://bit.ly/16Jaogh
All Romance: http://bit.ly/155v3On

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The Last Straw by Nia Simone

Please help me welcome debut author Nia Simone to the blog today. Nia is here as part of her Super Book Blast, celebrating the release of The Last Straw. Please note that The Last Straw is available for FREE at Amazon THIS WEEK ONLY. Oh, and make sure to leave Nia a comment, as one randomly drawn commenter will win a $25 Amazon gift card. 

Ally Tobin left New York after one too many bad dates, determined to rebuild a stable life and career as a private investigator in Silicon Valley. But when the man she knew as one name walks into her office with another, will her curiosity once again lead her to risk her heart? 

The last thing Special Agent Jared Green needs is "security risk" stamped on the resume of his latest undercover identity. Especially by the woman his job forced him to leave in New York without any explanation. She may threaten his cover, but it's his heart on the line. 

He's good at playing a part. She's good at catching a fake. Can they trust enough to give love another chance? 

EXCERPT:

He sauntered through the door, a white, button- down shirt tucked into belted khakis. When his dark gaze found her, he stopped. Stared. Her throat dried and a rustling motion stirred in her abdomen.

“Hi. I’m Darren Ray.”

Keep your cool, she commanded herself, standing and reaching across the desk. His hand was rough.

She yanked her hand back and waved at the chair. “Please, have a seat.” He waited for her to sit before settling in the visitor’s chair. “So, Darren, according to this, you’re being considered for a programmer position in the IT department. Tell me about your background.”

A professional mask settled over his features. “As you can see on my résumé, I have several years of consulting experience.”

“Tell me something about your experience as a mechanic.” Working on his prized old Mustang had been a favorite hobby.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “What do you mean? That’s not in my résumé.”

“You don’t have the hands of a programmer. More of a mechanic.” Oh, his hands.

“Okay, you got me.” He was going to confess. This should be good. “When I’m not programming computers I’m working on my car.”

“And what were you doing in New York City?”

He reached across her desk for a piece of paper, plucked a pen from its stand and scrawled something. When she took the note their fingers brushed. Meet me for dinner at Pico’s at 7. I’ll explain everything. Can’t talk here.

Nia Simone grew up on the side of a ski slope in Squaw Valley, USA. Later, while learning the craft of story writing, she worked in nonprofit and then high-tech.

The best part of working in the computer field was meeting her husband. He took up skiing and she helped him document his computer inventions! They live in "Silicon Valley" in California where their favorite thing to do is cook together for friends. Nia’s specialties are dessert and veggies while her husband’s are entrees and sourdough bread.

Their only pet at the moment is the sourdough starter, which lives in the fridge and requires bi-weekly feeding.

Nia blogs every day about travel, food, writing, books, skiing and photography at niasimoneauthor.com (where she won the Versatile Blogger Award and Inspiring Blogger Award).

Buy link: The Last Straw
Website: niasimone.intuitwebsites.com 
Facebook: facebook.com/niasimoneauthor 
Twitter: @niasimone4

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HER SISTER by Karen Rose Smith

Welcome! Thanks for dropping in for a visit today. Don't forget to leave a comment as readers who comment are eligible to win a Landau charm bracelet or Amazon gift card!!

BLURB:

Clare's little sister, Lynnie, was abducted twenty-seven years ago. Now the retired detective who has never been able to let go of the cold case has a lead. Lynnie could be alive!

Clare's neighbor, Joe, an occasional friend until now, gives her support and...wants more than friendship.

Clare's mom, Amanda, thrown together again with her ex-husband into a crisis discovers forgotten love beneath the regrets.

Clare's sixteen year old daughter, Shara, decides to run from her problems instead of facing them.

 A devoted sister, a turmoiled mom and a rebellious daughter find their way back to each other in this contemporary ebook about three generations who discover love can knit their family back together again.


EXCERPT:

Stepping closer, keeping his eyes on hers, Joe took her by the shoulders. "You can't solve your parents' problems, but you can let them help you. You can be here for Shara. You've got to keep the best possible outlook on this, not the worst, and you'll be able to keep in touch with your parents to know what's happening every step of the way. That's what cell phones and texting are for, right?"

Thinking about it, Clare found herself biting her lower lip, feeling younger than she was, feeling uncertain about everything.

"Your parents probably don't know how much they hurt you. Have you ever told them?"

She'd let a little of that come out today. Still … "How could I tell them when they were hurting so badly because Lynnie was gone. I let some of my feelings slip today. They seemed shocked, actually shocked. Are they really so clueless?"

"They're human, Clare. They've tried to do their best, but that just wasn't enough with you. You have to decide if you're going to forgive them and move out of this, or if you're always going to hold bitterness toward them."

She saw the look in his eyes and the road she should take. "You're going to tell me bitterness is only going to hurt me, not them."

"No, I’m not. It will hurt all of you."

His eyes were so kind and compassionate that she found tears coming to hers. Blinking hard, she tried to turn away. But instead of letting her, he pulled her into a hug and he held her tight.

BUY LINK

Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Since her father came from a family of ten and her mother, a family of seven, there were always aunts, uncles and cousins visiting on weekends. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason.

In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business. She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing romance fiction. Now she writes romances and mysteries full time. She has sold 82 novels since 1991.

Presently, she is hard at work on a three-book series for Harlequin Special Edition as well as a three-book mystery series for Kensington.

Married to her college sweetheart since 1971, believing in the power of love and commitment, she envisions herself writing relationship novels, both romance and mystery, for a long time to come!

Websites: http://www.karenrosesmith.com/ and http://www.karenrosesmithmysteries.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Rose-Smith/113599841764?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenrosesmithhttps://twitter.com/karenrosesmith
Blog: http://karenrosesmith.blogspot.com/ 
Newsletter: http://karenrosesmith-ezine.blogspot.com

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Virtual Book Tour: Byzantine Gold by Chris Karlsen

Welcome to the Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour for Byzantine Gold by Chris Karlsen! Chris will award one randomly drawn commenter at every stop an ebook copy of Golden Chariot, and one randomly drawn commenter will be awarded a $50 Amazon gift card during the tour. SO make sure after you check out her book, you leave a comment for Chris!

A sunken warship from the Byzantine Era carrying an unusual cargo of gold has been found off the coast of Northern Cyprus. News of the valuable cache has attracted the attention of a terrorist cell. They plan to attack the recovery team’s campsite and steal the artifacts. On the Black Market, the sale of the relics will buy them additional weapons.

Charlotte Dashiell, an American archaeologist, and her lover, Atakan Vadim, a Turkish government agent, are scheduled to be part of the recovery team that brings up the artifacts. While en route to Cyprus, they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of Maksym Tischenko, a Ukrainian contract killer bent on revenge. Charlotte, Atakan and Tischenko share a grim history. As a result, Tischenko is a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal—seeing them both dead.

Atakan didn’t answer as he sped out of camp, spraying dirt and stones behind them.

“What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”

He stared straight ahead, silent.

“Atakan?”

Tight-jawed, he continued down the side road that paralleled the beach, ramming the stick shift into place as he went through the gears and ignoring her questions. She’d never seen him this tense, not with her at least. A bad feeling crept over her. She had a sick sense his mood involved her plan to leave.

They’d gone a kilometer from the camp when he came to a stop. He hopped out, slammed the driver’s door shut and came to her side.

Opening her door, he said, “Get out.”

She did.

“Atakan,” Charlotte started to ask the same questions again, but he was already turned and walking toward the sea.

She followed. He finally stopped near the water’s edge with his back to the surf and faced her. She stopped a couple of yards away.

“When were you going to tell me?”

She knew exactly what he was asking about. Who told him? It wasn’t Nick. He’d honor the twenty-four hour rule.

“Who told you?”

“That’s not an answer.” He stood still as a statue, arms crossed, feet apart.

She hesitated, trying to choose her words so he’d understand and not be hurt. She gazed out at the incoming tide. The blue-green waves, effervescent with bubbles, rushed toward shore in rapid succession. White foam droplets filled the air as they crested, framing him like a new, angry version of Poseidon.

“Answer me.”

“Today.”

“You weren’t going to tell me until today, although you’ve been planning to leave me for awhile.”

“Not awhile.”

“Long enough to send job inquiries to several museums.”

So that was how he knew. One of the museums contacted MIAR and they must’ve sent the questionnaire to Refik and he told Atakan. She hadn’t considered the possibility. She’d thought any contact from the museums would be handled by MIAR’s headquarters.

“I’m so sorry you had to find out this way. I intended to tell you if it looked like I’d definitely leave. If none of the museums showed interest, then you never had to know what I’d done.”

“And you believe that is acceptable?”

It killed her to see the look of disgust on his face with the question. “Yes...” she said low.

“Why?”

“Because I’m bad luck for you—everyone can see it, even your--, it’s obvious. There’s something about me, and God knows, I don’t know what, but I’m like a magnet for Tischenko.”

She never cried and she wouldn’t cry now, but she was close. “I can’t bear to see you hurt again, or worse. There are people that bad luck follows, even Iskender thinks so.”

Atakan inhaled deeply and let out a slow breath. Uncrossing his arms, he closed the short distance to where she stood.

“It’s not forever,” she offered, “I’ll return.”

He shook his head. “If you go, you cannot return. You’re either in my life or out of my life. There’s no in between.”

Chris is a retired police detective. She spent twenty-five years in the law enforcement with two different agencies.

The daughter of a history professor and a voracious reader, she grew up with a love for history and books.

She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and Northern Africa satisfying her passion for seeing the places she read about.

A Chicago native, Chris has lived in Paris, Los Angeles, and now resides with her husband, and five rescue dogs in the Pacific Northwest.

 http://chriskarlsen.com/ 

 http://pinterest.com/chriskarlsen/byzantine-gold/

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Dangerous Affairs by Diana Miller

Today I'm hosting Diana Miller during her Super Book Blast: Dangerous Affairs. Please take the time to check out her book (it sounds fabulous!), and make sure you leave Diana a comment, for she will be awarding one $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour! 

When soap opera star Abby Langford leaves Los Angeles for her Minnesota hometown, she’s hoping to give her nine-year-old daughter the peaceful childhood she never knew. But instead of tranquility, Abby finds an old knife hidden between the walls of her new house. Then the nightmares start: a blood-soaked victim and a killer’s arm slicing through the air, again and again.

Abby wonders if she’s having the nervous breakdown the tabloids claim she already had, especially when sexy, skeptical police chief Josh Kincaid questions her story. When menacing hate mail arrives, Josh’s professional concern for Abby soon evolves into an intense attraction, and the feeling is mutual. And now Josh wonders if her psychic visions are of crimes past—or a premonition of terrors to come.

To survive, Abby and Josh must uncover the truth and stop a killer . . . before Abby’s worst nightmares come true.

EXCERPT:

The doorbell rang, shooting a fresh blast of cold panic through Abby. She opened her mouth, but swallowed her scream—it had to be the police. Bad guys didn’t use doorbells. She unlocked and opened the front door with frozen fingers.

Josh was standing on the front porch, dressed in black jeans and a burgundy polo shirt, his hand on the doorjamb and his eyes narrowed. “What’s such a damn emergency?”

“I got another message. From the person who hates me.”

 Josh expelled a clearly exasperated breath, running his fingers through his dark hair. “Look, I know I told you to take the letters seriously, but since the mail carrier delivered it hours ago, this isn’t exactly an emergency. Bring it to the station tomorrow. I’d like to get back to my date.”

“It didn’t come in the mail this time.” Abby’s voice rose an octave, her words tripping over each other. “It’s on my bathroom mirror, written in lipstick. Someone got into my house, and they could get in again.” She sounded half hysterical, but she couldn’t help it. This was in a different category from her normal hate mail.

Josh stepped into the house, closing the door behind him. “You were gone tonight?”

She slumped against one wall of the foyer, hugging herself and struggling to regain her control.

“Maddie and I were at a birthday party for Laura’s youngest son. At Pizzaville. We got home around nine thirty, and I put Maddie to bed. I read in the family room for a while, then went back upstairs. And found it.”

“Show me.” Josh grabbed her forearm and directed her up the stairs.

The message was short and to the point, capital letters written in red lipstick on the wall-size mirror:

LEAVE OR DIE BITCH. FROM YOUR BIGGEST FAN 

When she was eight, Diana Miller decided she wanted to be Nancy Drew. But no matter how many garbage cans she dug through, conversations she “accidentally” overheard, and attics she searched, she never found a single cryptic letter, hidden staircase, or anything else even remotely mysterious. She worked as a lawyer, a soda jerk, a stay-at-home mom, a hospital admitting clerk, and a conference host before deciding that the best way to inject suspense into her otherwise satisfying life was by writing about it.

Diana is a five-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award and winner of a Golden Heart for Dangerous Affairs—a romantic suspense novel that shows not everyone in her home state is Minnesota Nice. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family.

Visit her website at:  http://wwwdianamillerwriter.com

Buy your copy of Dangerous Affairs at Amazon today!  

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Secrets of a Dangerous Woman by p.m. terrell

Today I have p.m. terrell with me, celebrating the release of her book, Secrets of a Dangerous Woman. Make sure to leave p.m. a comment as she will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to one random commentor during her tour!

What kind of readers would enjoy your books? 

My fans are about equally divided between male and female and range in age from high school to people in their 90’s. They are people who enjoy losing themselves in another world, learning something that really exists in our world (such as psychic spy programs run by the United States and Russia) and who enjoy fast-paced thrillers that feel like a roller coaster from start to finish.

Describe your style of writing in three words. 

Action, International, Romantic.

Describe your typical writing day. How do you balance your writing with marketing, editing, plotting, your day job, and all other commitments? 

My writing day varies depending on whether I am in my office or on the road promoting my books. When I’m in my office, my day typically begins before 8 am. I spend the morning answering emails and working on promotional and marketing efforts. By late morning, I’ve begun any research needed for my next chapter.

I take a break for lunch and when I return, I begin writing. I don’t stop until 5:00 at the earliest and usually much later. This schedule continues six days a week and often seven.

When I am on the road, I typically have three or four appearances scheduled in a day. In between, I try to get back to my hotel to work on my writing. If it isn’t logistically possible, I might sit in a parking lot or a library and catch up on emails from my iPhone.

I have been very fortunate to be a full-time writer for the past ten years so I no longer have to balance a day job with writing. The result has been the ability to write three books this year for publication over the next 18 months, where I previously worked hard to finish one book a year.

Do you have a ritual for getting into the writing zone? 

I can’t afford a ritual anymore; when deadlines loom it’s a great motivator for buckling down and writing. However, before I go to bed each night I think about the next day’s scenes, particularly if I am stumped on how to address a particular issue or scene. Then I let my subconscious take over. When I awaken in the morning, I remember my dreams—and I write what I dreamed.

What do you enjoy most about writing thrillers?

They are fast-paced. Every scene must have action; there’s no time for a character’s thoughts and I only weave in their backstory in a paragraph here and there so the action doesn’t slow down. Readers often tell me once they read that first sentence they can’t put the book down until they’ve reached the end. I think that’s a direct result of the genre I’ve chosen; it doesn’t meander.

Quick-Fire Questions: 

Early bird or night owl? Early bird.
Red or white wine? White.
Coke or Pepsi? Coke.
Bath or shower? Shower.
Mac or PC? PC.  

 
In Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, Dylan Maguire is back in his first assignment with the CIA: to interrogate recently captured Brenda Carnegie. But when she escapes again, it's obvious she's had help from within the CIA's own ranks. With Vicki Boyd's assistance, Brenda is back in Dylan's custody. And now he must find out why some in the highest levels of our government want her dead while others are willing to risk everything to help her. And when he discovers Brenda's real identity, his mission has just become very personal.



Excerpt:

“Who are you running from?” Vicki asked.

Brenda took a deep breath. “I am in trouble. Big trouble.”

“What did you do?”

“Depends on who you ask.” She took a deep breath. “I’m tired, Vicki. Really tired. I need to get off the street. Stay inside for a day or two. Regroup.”

“I’m living in Lumberton now. The woman who owned the house where I’m staying passed away. Her nephew inherited it.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yeah? Where’s he?”

“I live with him. Come home with me. It’s a big house, three stories.”

Brenda frowned as if she was deep in thought. “It’s just you and him there?”

“His name’s Dylan. I’ll tell you all about him on the way.”

She half nodded. “He won’t be taken aback by you bringing me home? I’m a bit more to handle than a stray cat.”

“He’d love to meet you. I promise. He’ll take care of you.”

“He will, will he?” Vicki blushed.

“He’s got a strong sense of family. Besides,” she said as she started to rise, “it’s suppertime and you need to eat. We’ll get something in your belly and you’ll get a good night’s sleep.”

Brenda hesitated only briefly before she rose from the table. “You sure you can handle the intrusion?”

“Positive.”

As they made their way toward the door, Brenda whispered, “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 16 books, including Vicki's Key, a 2012 International Book Awards finalist, and River Passage, 2010 Best Fiction & Drama winner. She is the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation whose slogan is "Buy a Book and Stop a Crook" and the co-chair of Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference & Book Fair. For more information, visit www.pmterrell.com

Where to find p.m. terrell:

www.pmterrell.com
www.pmterrell.blogspot.com
Twitter: @pmterrell
Facebook: Patricia M. Terrell

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Virtual Blog Tour: Away from the Spotlight by Tamara Carlisle

Today I'm happy to have Tamara Carlisle with me. Tamara is celebrating the release of her book, Away from the Spotlight, and has agreed to stop by and visit with us today. Oh, and Tamara will be awarding two $25 Amazon GCs to randomly drawn commenters during the tour!  So make sure you leave her a message!  Welcome, Tamara!


Away from the Spotlight includes a love triangle. So long as it doesn’t appear contrived, a love triangle can ratchet up the drama, show a side of a character that might not otherwise be shown, and/or spur a character to take or fail to take certain actions. And what woman wouldn’t love to have two men competing for her affections?

The Drama 

Law clerk, Shannon Sutherland, meets co-worker, John Maher. Soon after meeting John, Shannon learns that John is in a long-term relationship and realizes she has no chance with him as a result. John and Shannon then settle into a close friendship. Unbeknownst to Shannon, John is equally taken with her, but remains in his relationship without Shannon knowing of his feelings for her.

As the novel begins, Shannon meets Will MacKenzie. Shannon and Will quickly fall in love. However, when Will and Shannon appear to have problems, John is right there. While still in his long-term relationship, John consoles Shannon and serves as a listening ear. Later, John’s girlfriend leaves him and he becomes single, but Shannon is no longer single. John tries to spend time with Shannon, taking advantage of the fact that Will is away for a period of time. Shannon realizes what John is up to and distances herself from him. However, when Will and Shannon again have problems, John is right there - again.

Who is Shannon supposed to be with? Will, whose career requires somewhat of an itinerant lifestyle and provides a host of complications? Or, John, whose career and lifestyle is identical to that of Shannon? While Shannon’s preference is clear for the most part, does the story play out that way? Does she have a choice?

Character Development 

In addition to the dramatic element, the love triangle serves the additional purpose of drawing the reader into Shannon’s life outside her relationship with Will. Shannon is no shrinking violet waiting to blossom under the love of a good man or be rescued by her prince. Regardless of how amazing her relationship with Will is, Shannon is an independent, well-educated, career woman with a life that is more than being someone’s girlfriend or wife. In that regard, she serves as a good role model and the story provides an example of a good relationship that complements a woman’s life rather than becomes a woman’s life.

Also, when Will sees Shannon and John together at one point in the story, he behaves in a way that shows what he was like before he met Shannon. Now that I think about it, to some degree, Shannon saves Will!

Catalyst for Action or Inaction 

The involvement of a third party can also spur action or inaction on the part of one or more characters. In Away from the Spotlight, as I noted before, Will sees Shannon and John together at one point in the story. That incident serves to delay a reconciliation between Will and Shannon. Will’s subsequent behavior then places him right back in the path of Shannon and leads to that reconciliation, albeit after a delay.

Timing Is Everything

Shannon and Will meet when they are both at the right place at the right time. Both were single and ready to fall in love when they met. The timing between John and Shannon was off for a long time. Did it remain that way? You’ll have to read Away from the Spotlight to find out.

Thank you, Sarah, for allowing me to join you today!

In the closing weeks of law school, Shannon Sutherland meets handsome and charming Englishman Will MacKenzie. Initially swept off her feet, Shannon finds that Will has a secret that, once discovered and the consequences realized, could destroy their fledgling relationship. Will and Shannon take great pains to have a normal relationship but, ultimately, find it impossible to do so. Will the pressures of their careers and the temptations of others drive Will and Shannon apart? Can Will and Shannon live a happy life away from the spotlight?


EXCERPT:

“I promise nothing will separate us again. Just like it said in our vows, ‘Til death do us part.’”

“Well, about fifty percent of all marriages are ‘til divorce do us part.’”

“We’ll be in the other fifty percent.”

“How do you know?” I was still worried.

“Because I love you and I am not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. Unless you have any plans to break us up?”

“No. I wasn’t worried about me. I was worried about you.”

“We’re good then?”

“Yes, I guess so.” I could hear a little sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. “Other than Saturday, have you ever noticed how we have a lot of these kinds of conversations over the phone or out in public?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder why that is.” “Because when we’re alone together, we can’t keep our hands off each other,” Will said in a sexy voice.

“I guess that’s true. Do you think we’ll ever be able to have them when we’re alone together?”

“If you mean, ‘do I think that we’ll be able to keep our hands off each other at some point,’ I certainly hope not. But I do think we might be able to figure out how to multitask.”

Tamara Carlisle is a former attorney and business consultant. Away from the Spotlight is her first published work of fiction. She currently is working on two additional novels: one is about love in the music industry and the other is a work of paranormal fiction. Tamara currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her British husband and daughter. For further information, go to http://www.tamaracarlisle.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Away-from-the-Spotlight-by-Tamara-Carlisle/166846163445733 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6185721.Tamara_Carlisle 

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/books/29531300/Away-from-the-Spotlight?amatc=kdp-c 

Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/author/carlisletamara 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tamara_Carlisle 

Tamara’s Goodreads Author Page also includes a blog detailing trivia relating to Away from the Spotlight.

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Balancing Life and Writing

Today it's my pleasure to host author Marie Astor. Marie is in the middle of a blog tour promoting her new release, On the Rim of Love. Welcome. Marie.

Marie will be awarding a custom made jewelry set (necklace and earrings) to one randomly chosen commenter so make sure and leave her a comment. (US / Canada only)

 

Balancing life and writing – I have a one-line answer to this topic – it is hard!

If it were up to me, I would be writing non-stop, with perhaps short breaks for sleep, but I have a family and I have friends and all the obligations with come with being an adult.

I can certainly relate to the plot of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke where the author of a book finds himself transported into the world of his own creation. When I am working on a novel, the plot and the characters become as real to me as my own life - I find myself drawn into a self-created world where I am listening in to every scene, every thought – the trick is not to get sucked in or risk becoming a social recluse, which is a fate that I’m pretty sure no one would like to fall victim to.

So, my advice on balancing life and writing? Take breaks! Don’t forget your friends, remember to surprise your family with doing something special for them, like making pancakes and eggs for dinner (yes, breakfast food for dinner!) or heading out for a picnic on a sunny day. But what about writing? you say, don’t you need to have a schedule? Yes, it certainly helps to have a schedule and most of the days I follow a very rigorous schedule – I try to devote at least two hours a day to writing – it may be in the wee hours or the morning or it may be at night and sometimes in the afternoon – the schedule will wary depending on the hectic demands that life throws my way each day. But, every now and then, I’ll take a break and let the day shape itself. I always carry a small notebook with me, so that I can jot down any ideas that spring up in my mind, and I find that when I’m out and about with my family and friends, ideas become frequent guests.

I’d like to thank Sarah for inviting me to her blog and giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on this exciting topic. Wishing everyone happy writing and reading!

 

On the Rim of Love
by Marie Astor

BUY IT ON KINDLE

BY IT ON NOOK

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.


Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, Maggie meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.


A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre.

Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.

In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player.

Currently, Marie is working on her next novel - stay tuned for details! If you would like to receive updates about book releases and events, please visit Marie’s website at: www.marieastor.com or visit Marie at her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorwrites.

Website: http://www.marieastor.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/marieastor

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Ghosts and Angels and Demons, Oh, My!

Today it's my pleasure to host author, Minnette Meador. Minnette is in the middle of a blog tour promoting her new book, A Ghost of a Chance. Welcome, Minnette.

Minnette will be giving away a Kindle at the end of her promotions campaign and anyone who comments on her tour, or on her blog, will be entered into that drawing. One randomly drawn commenter from the tour itself will-- in addition-- win a $100 Amazon gift certificate.

Reggie shrugged and rubbed his nose with a long forefinger. “The succubus is drawn to powerful men…psychics.”

“That’s horseshit, Reggie. I’m no psychic.”

Reggie nailed him with a cold gaze and chuckled under his ghostly breath. “Let’s see…you see dead people. Not only do you see them, but you talk to them as well. As a matter of fact, some of your best friends are dead. Sounds rather psychic to me. But what do I know?”

Keenan licked his lips. “Oh.” - A GHOST OF A CHANCE (Resplendence Publishing - June 2011)

Writing about ghosts, angels, and demons was not what I originally set out to do, but then sometimes books take on life (or death) of their own. Keenan arrived fully-grown one fateful evening when I was trying to sleep and I just had to get him down. His problem: He sees ghosts… lots and lots of ghosts…

They were costing him a fortune. The TV, the radio, and even his computer were always on. Lights went off and on constantly. The heat would soar to eighty degrees in the middle of the summer and then plunge to fifty when the winter freeze set in. He couldn’t keep any pets; the instant they came into the house they hissed or yelped in terror and ran away. The neighborhood was full of cats that had once belonged to Keenan.

He couldn’t keep girlfriends either. The closer they got, the more convinced they were that he was on drugs, a serial killer, or terminally cracked. He hadn’t had a girl at his house in years; for some reason they got all heebie-jeebie on him when things started flying around or cold blasts of air unexpectedly lifted their skirts. One girl even had her panties removed, but not by Keenan. He was in the kitchen at the time.

Friends? Forget it. They had a tendency to search for the exit when he told them he saw dead people…and not in the good way. Moviemakers had it all wrong. These weren’t people who wanted release; they were freeloaders who wanted nothing more than to torture the living, especially those who could see them. Keenan had lost count of how many pranks he had endured over the years. Somewhere in the thousands, he was sure.

But this book became a culmination of things I love: ghost stories, Catholic mysticism, psychic abilities, and even history. Add steaming sex scenes, reluctant heroes, a kick ass heroine, and a very special HEA, mix well and you’ve got a modern story of ghosts meet boy, boy meets girl, boy loses girl and ghosts, boy dies, boy gets girl and ghosts back, boy and girl save the world.

I hope you will take a look. I think you might laugh a bit and maybe even cry. Thanks so much to Sarah for sharing her amazing blog site. I’m honored to be here.

A Ghost of a Chance
by Minnette Meanor

BUY LINK

Keenan Swanson is your typical, everyday graphic designer. Well, except for the hundreds of pesky, prank-loving poltergeists that make his life interesting (in a Chinese curse sort of way). He finds his situation precarious yet manageable—until witty, smoking-hot coworker Isabella enters the scene and Keenan decides he wants her all for himself. With a horny succubus who has other ideas, a burly city cop determined to lock Keenan away, and an evil entity who’s hell-bent on using Keenan’s seed to create a living demon, the reluctant psychic realizes he just might not come out of this alive—or with heart intact.


Keenan headed down Thirty-second Street, turned left onto Hawthorn, and ran like an antelope with a lion biting his tail.

When he hit the crowd outside Taps at full speed, he came to a crashing halt and sailed to the ground, taking down two brawny beer drinkers, their respective girlfriends, and an innocent table that was sitting there minding its own business. Four obviously filled pints of stout flew through the air and the contents rained down on the struggling quintet in a dark brown shower, soaking all of them. Two of the empty pints hit Keenan squarely on the back of the head, one after the other.

The tangled pile of human beings and beer began to disentangle itself, but Keenan’s head was spinning wildly. So wildly, in fact, that he didn’t feel himself roughly yanked to his feet and then off of them, or see the swollen fist appear out of thin air until it was too late. All he heard was a distant son of a bitch and the sound of meaty flesh striking cheekbone.

The sparklers that gleamed in front of his eyes reminded him of the Fourth of July on the coast. He found himself down on the ground again.

“…you stupid prick!” The words soaked into his stupor and he squinted up to see six-foot-six of angry male mountain, a pleading red head attached to the man’s arm.

Not that it would have stopped another blow, but Keenan forced his hands into the submissive position and tried to find his voice. “Oh, man…” he said to the mountain. “I’m really sorry. Are you all right?”

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