Thanks to Brianne from The Hachette Book Group, we have a special treat in store for you, a Double Trouble Treat.  And here to talk about it is the very talented author, Ms. Katie Lane!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Hope Scroggs is finally ready to get hitched. After years of sowing her wild oats, the former head cheerleader and homecoming queen has returned to Bramble, Texas, to marry her high school flame. But her perfect wedding plans are stomped to smithereens when her adoring cowboy two-steps down the aisle with someone else. Now Hope is stuck with the one man from her past she can’t shake: Colt Lomax, an irresistible bad boy whose sultry kisses are hotter than the Panhandle in August . . .
  Colt lives for freedom and the open road; he never gets attached, never looks back. Still, he can’t forget the night of passion he once shared with Bramble’s sweetheart–a night he wouldn’t mind repeating. So, he piles on the Texas charm to tease the feisty beauty back into his bed, while she tries her darnedest to resist. But something unexpected is about to tie their fates together . . . and oh, baby, will it ever!



What an honor I have been given today!!!!  Back in August, I was asked if I would consider reading and reviewing a book, The Lies We Told, by this very author and it was phenomenal. A 5/5 in my opinion.  So when Tricia, from Meryl L. Moss Media, contacted me again, not only to read and review Ms. Chamberlain’s newest novel, but also introduce her to all of you, I was thrilled.  So please meet and welcome, here today, Ms. Diane Chamberlain!!!

Diane is the award-winning author of 20 novels published in more than 11 languages. She writes complex stories about love, compassion and forgiveness.

Her books, which are often set in her home state of North Carolina, feature a combination of family drama, intrigue and suspense.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. She also lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C. She also was a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.

Diane’s background in psychology and her work in hospitals have given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create real, living, breathing characters.

Several years ago Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which has changed the way she works—she sometimes types using voice recognition software. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she is able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.

Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her shelties, Keeper and Jet.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Bestselling author of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Lies We Told, Diane Chamberlain returns with her twentieth and most gripping novel to date, THE MIDWIFE’S CONFESSION (Mira Books; May 2011, $15.95), about two women who embark on a investigation of their best friend’s untimely death, ultimately revealing a powerful secret that threatens to destroy everything they thought they knew about her.

When Noelle Downie is found dead of an apparent overdose, her best friends Tara and Emerson are left blindsided by her death and struggling with burning questions. Everything they knew about their longtime friend—her natural calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—portrayed a woman who completely embraced life, not someone suicidal.

Clearing out Noelle’s small home, Tara and Emerson encounter old photos, handwritten birth records, and sincere thank you notes from Noelle’s former patients—no hint that Noelle had been unstable during the years leading to her suicide. But among Noelle’s belongings, an unfinished letter is discovered—a clue to a disturbing past and an unbearable secret. With just one piece to the puzzle, Tara and Emerson commit to digging deeper for clues, slowly peeling back years of hidden deception that had been silently tearing apart their best friend.

Read my review of this novel, The Midwife’s Confession, below.

What an honor I have been given today!!!!  Back in August, I was asked if I would consider reading and reviewing a book, The Lies We Told, by this very author and it was phenomenal. A 5/5 in my opinion.  So when Tricia, from Meryl L. Moss Media, contacted me again, not only to read and review Ms. Chamberlain’s newest novel, but also introduce her to all of you, I was thrilled.  So please meet and welcome, here today, Ms. Diane Chamberlain!!!

Diane is the award-winning author of 20 novels published in more than 11 languages. She writes complex stories about love, compassion and forgiveness.

Her books, which are often set in her home state of North Carolina, feature a combination of family drama, intrigue and suspense.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. She also lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C. She also was a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.

Diane’s background in psychology and her work in hospitals have given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create real, living, breathing characters.

Several years ago Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which has changed the way she works—she sometimes types using voice recognition software. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she is able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.

Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her shelties, Keeper and Jet.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Bestselling author of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and The Lies We Told, Diane Chamberlain returns with her twentieth and most gripping novel to date, THE MIDWIFE’S CONFESSION (Mira Books; May 2011, $15.95), about two women who embark on a investigation of their best friend’s untimely death, ultimately revealing a powerful secret that threatens to destroy everything they thought they knew about her.

When Noelle Downie is found dead of an apparent overdose, her best friends Tara and Emerson are left blindsided by her death and struggling with burning questions. Everything they knew about their longtime friend—her natural calling as a midwife, her passion for causes, her love for her friends and family—portrayed a woman who completely embraced life, not someone suicidal.

Clearing out Noelle’s small home, Tara and Emerson encounter old photos, handwritten birth records, and sincere thank you notes from Noelle’s former patients—no hint that Noelle had been unstable during the years leading to her suicide. But among Noelle’s belongings, an unfinished letter is discovered—a clue to a disturbing past and an unbearable secret. With just one piece to the puzzle, Tara and Emerson commit to digging deeper for clues, slowly peeling back years of hidden deception that had been silently tearing apart their best friend.

Read my review of this novel, The Midwife’s Confession, below.

 

Margaret spent many rewarding—but rather wearing—years in jobs devoted to improving services for abused children and care for the elderly. Not long ago, she surprised (shocked?) her friends and family by abandoning her legal career—and steady job—to write novels. She is thrilled to spend her days writing stories of love and adventure, instead of going to endless meetings. After all, she has always loved romantic tales, heroic deeds, and happy endings. And, at long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy—in the pages of her novels.

With her two children off to college, Margaret spends most of her time working on her next books. She loves to hear from readers.
You can visit her at http://www.margaretmallory.com/index.html
Like her at Facebook http://www.facebook.com/margaretmallory.author

THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK I
Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can’t prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.
PASSION IGNITED
After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past . . . and claim the bride he’s long resisted.

As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas – and he won’t take no for an answer.

READ AN EXCERPT:

 

Margaret spent many rewarding—but rather wearing—years in jobs devoted to improving services for abused children and care for the elderly. Not long ago, she surprised (shocked?) her friends and family by abandoning her legal career—and steady job—to write novels. She is thrilled to spend her days writing stories of love and adventure, instead of going to endless meetings. After all, she has always loved romantic tales, heroic deeds, and happy endings. And, at long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy—in the pages of her novels.

With her two children off to college, Margaret spends most of her time working on her next books. She loves to hear from readers.
You can visit her at http://www.margaretmallory.com/index.html
Like her at Facebook http://www.facebook.com/margaretmallory.author

THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS: BOOK I
Four fearless warriors return to the Highlands to claim their lands and legacies. But all their trials on the battlefield can’t prepare them for their greatest challenge yet: winning the hearts of four willful Scottish beauties.
PASSION IGNITED
After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past . . . and claim the bride he’s long resisted.

As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. But when his rescue attempt compromised her virtue, Ian was forced to marry against his wishes. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants a second chance with Sìleas – and he won’t take no for an answer.

READ AN EXCERPT:

I have waited a long time for this day and it is finally here!!!  Today, my guest is the very multi talented author, photographer and attorney, Mr James Lepore, visiting and talking about his latest book and sequel to Blood Of My Brother.  Please help me, as only the CMash visitors can do, give Mr. Lepore a huge and warm welcome !!!!

     I have written a number of works of short fiction that have evolved from my novels. After each novel was completed, its characters continued to live in my head, telling me, it seemed, that they wanted to go on living on the page. The stories that grew out of A World I Never Made will be published in February, 2011, in a volume entitled, Anyone Can Die. My second novel, Blood of My Brother, is available now at amazon and all other online booksellers.
     I have heard it said that genre novels are plot driven, while novels in the literature category are character driven. I believe that my novels offer something of both: compelling, fast moving plots in exotic venues, and characters that are complex in that they are flawed, and, finding themselves caught up in situations of extraordinary stress and danger, are forced to face their own demons in order to prevail. It has been gratifying to find that many readers and reviewers have enjoyed this blend in my work.
     My first three novels all feature people from the area where I have lived all of my life, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The characters in these novels are not the same and there are no connections between them. But the novels’ themes are the same—the struggle of flawed men and women to change and grow in the face of great danger. In this sense the three novels can be categorized as a trilogy, the Tristate Trilogy is the name I am giving them.
     The hardcover version of A World I Never Made, published in April, 2009, attracted a passionate audience of readers. The paperback version, along with the releases of my next two novels, are an opportunity for a broad, mass-market readership to experience my work. I do not think that anyone who reads my novels and stories will be disappointed. I am currently working on my fourth novel—the story of a high profile Manhattan prosecutor whose son is wrongly accused of murder—which will be published in 2011. I live in South Salem, NY with my wife, Karen Chandler, an artist whose work can be seen here.
     P.S. As you may have guessed, I am an avid reader and have been all my life. I have compiled a list of my fifty favorite novels (the “LePore Top Fifty”). The list changes from time to time (since I have sole control over it), and I am working on a second Top Fifty list, but If anyone is interested in receiving a copy of the first list, just go to the “Contact The Author” page and ask for it in an email to me and I will send it along.
You can visit Mr. Lepore at http://jamesleporefiction.com/

ABOUT SONS AND PRINCES

Synopsis (borrowed from B&N):
  Chris Massi has been running from his world his entire life. The son of a Mafia assassin and the former son-in-law of a mob kingpin, Massi has tried to stay on the right side of the law, building a prestigious career as an attorney, and insulating his children as much as possible. But now a series of tragedies have left him without a law license and without several of his loved ones. And at the same time, his teenaged son is beginning to gravitate toward the gangster world Chris has tried so hard to protect him from.
  Michele Mathias has been running away from her life for more than a decade. Once a promising young woman with a future, she’s now a drug addicted street player living with the knowledge that her daughter – the only bright thing in her life – was taken away from her. When her roommate is murdered in a mob-related hit, her life intersects with Chris’s life – and their worlds change forever.
  For Chris, a showdown is coming. The only way for him to save his son and regain his future is to face – and maybe even embrace – the demon he’s always avoided. For Michele, her last chance at redemption has arrived. How their journeys collide with the dark New York underworld is the stuff of the kind of suspenseful, passionate drama we’ve come to expect from James LePore.
Watch for my review in the coming weeks.

ABOUT BLOOD OF MY BROTHER

Synopsis (borrowed from Author’s website):
  When Jay Cassio’s best friend Dan is murdered in a job clearly done by professionals, the walls that he has built to protect himself from the world of others begin to shatter. Now Jay, a successful lawyer, must find out why Dan died and find a way to seek justice for his murder. Isabel Perez has lived a life both tainted and charmed since she was a teenager in Mexico. She holds powerful sway over men and has even more powerful alliances with people no one should ever try to cross. When Jay catapults into her world, their connection is electric, their alliance is lethal, and their future is anything but certain.
You can read my review HERE.

I have waited a long time for this day and it is finally here!!!  Today, my guest is the very multi talented author, photographer and attorney, Mr James Lepore, visiting and talking about his latest book and sequel to Blood Of My Brother.  Please help me, as only the CMash visitors can do, give Mr. Lepore a huge and warm welcome !!!!

     I have written a number of works of short fiction that have evolved from my novels. After each novel was completed, its characters continued to live in my head, telling me, it seemed, that they wanted to go on living on the page. The stories that grew out of A World I Never Made will be published in February, 2011, in a volume entitled, Anyone Can Die. My second novel, Blood of My Brother, is available now at amazon and all other online booksellers.
     I have heard it said that genre novels are plot driven, while novels in the literature category are character driven. I believe that my novels offer something of both: compelling, fast moving plots in exotic venues, and characters that are complex in that they are flawed, and, finding themselves caught up in situations of extraordinary stress and danger, are forced to face their own demons in order to prevail. It has been gratifying to find that many readers and reviewers have enjoyed this blend in my work.
     My first three novels all feature people from the area where I have lived all of my life, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The characters in these novels are not the same and there are no connections between them. But the novels’ themes are the same—the struggle of flawed men and women to change and grow in the face of great danger. In this sense the three novels can be categorized as a trilogy, the Tristate Trilogy is the name I am giving them.
     The hardcover version of A World I Never Made, published in April, 2009, attracted a passionate audience of readers. The paperback version, along with the releases of my next two novels, are an opportunity for a broad, mass-market readership to experience my work. I do not think that anyone who reads my novels and stories will be disappointed. I am currently working on my fourth novel—the story of a high profile Manhattan prosecutor whose son is wrongly accused of murder—which will be published in 2011. I live in South Salem, NY with my wife, Karen Chandler, an artist whose work can be seen here.
     P.S. As you may have guessed, I am an avid reader and have been all my life. I have compiled a list of my fifty favorite novels (the “LePore Top Fifty”). The list changes from time to time (since I have sole control over it), and I am working on a second Top Fifty list, but If anyone is interested in receiving a copy of the first list, just go to the “Contact The Author” page and ask for it in an email to me and I will send it along.
You can visit Mr. Lepore at http://jamesleporefiction.com/

ABOUT SONS AND PRINCES

Synopsis (borrowed from B&N):
  Chris Massi has been running from his world his entire life. The son of a Mafia assassin and the former son-in-law of a mob kingpin, Massi has tried to stay on the right side of the law, building a prestigious career as an attorney, and insulating his children as much as possible. But now a series of tragedies have left him without a law license and without several of his loved ones. And at the same time, his teenaged son is beginning to gravitate toward the gangster world Chris has tried so hard to protect him from.
  Michele Mathias has been running away from her life for more than a decade. Once a promising young woman with a future, she’s now a drug addicted street player living with the knowledge that her daughter – the only bright thing in her life – was taken away from her. When her roommate is murdered in a mob-related hit, her life intersects with Chris’s life – and their worlds change forever.
  For Chris, a showdown is coming. The only way for him to save his son and regain his future is to face – and maybe even embrace – the demon he’s always avoided. For Michele, her last chance at redemption has arrived. How their journeys collide with the dark New York underworld is the stuff of the kind of suspenseful, passionate drama we’ve come to expect from James LePore.
Watch for my review in the coming weeks.

ABOUT BLOOD OF MY BROTHER

Synopsis (borrowed from Author’s website):
  When Jay Cassio’s best friend Dan is murdered in a job clearly done by professionals, the walls that he has built to protect himself from the world of others begin to shatter. Now Jay, a successful lawyer, must find out why Dan died and find a way to seek justice for his murder. Isabel Perez has lived a life both tainted and charmed since she was a teenager in Mexico. She holds powerful sway over men and has even more powerful alliances with people no one should ever try to cross. When Jay catapults into her world, their connection is electric, their alliance is lethal, and their future is anything but certain.
You can read my review HERE.

Today, I am honored, to introduce you to, not only to a noted neurosurgeon but also an author.  He is taking time out of his busy schedule to visit with us and talk about his debut novel.  “I look forward to introducing you to the next top doctor of medical suspense.”  Please help me welcome, Dr. Brian O’Grady !!

 

     Brian O’Grady follows in the tradition of Michael Crichton as a physician who brings his in-depth medical knowledge to his craft. A practicing neurosurgeon from Richland, WA, O’Grady is a graduate of the University of New Mexico who completed his residency in neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic. His deep insight into the mysterious workings of the human brain brings HYBRID realistically to life.
     Brian O’Grady follows in the tradition of Michael Crichton as a physician who brings his in-depth medical knowledge to his craft. A practicing neurosurgeon from Richland, WA, O’Grady is a graduate of the University of New Mexico who completed his residency in neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic. His deep insight into the mysterious workings of the human brain brings HYBRID realistically to life.
Visit Dr. O’Grady at: http://www.brianjogrady.com/

IS THE ULTIMATE POWER WORTH HAVING
IF IT COMES FROM THE ULTIMATE EVIL?
     What sort of untapped abilities lie within the human brain? Could we summon the powers of telepathy, telekinesis or mind control if we only knew how? Dr. Brian O’Grady, a Washington neurosurgeon, explores these intriguing questions in his pulse-pounding medical thriller HYBRID (The Fiction Studio; April 2011). “We have limitless connections between the nerve cells in our brains, yet we only use about 10 percent. Imagine if we could unlock our vast potential?” he asks. The key in Dr. O’Grady’s debut novel is a virus, which unleashes a chain of events in same spine-tingling spirit of suspense as The Andromeda Strain and the X-Files.
     Seven years ago, everyone died in the Honduran camp from the EDH1 virus, but Red Cross worker Amanda Flynn. Airlifted home to America, medical professionals tried to identify why Amanda survived when others died gruesome, agonizing deaths or became violent savages. Little did they know that anyone who survived…changed.
     Since her escape from quarantine, Amanda has been in hiding slowly realizing the powers that could have only come from her infection. She can sense things, do things using her mind, things that are incredible and sometimes incredibly dark. But as she resists the pull toward violence, a new survivor has entered her consciousness – one without her will to block evil impulses. One who revels in bloodlust and seeks to expand his mastery by forcing the end of human society. And he’s coming for Amanda.
     A sharply written and engaging cast of characters adds to the fever excitement and suspense – Dr. Phil Rucker, the coroner whose Asperger’s syndrome comes complete with its own demons; Father John Oliver, the kindly priest whose faith is brutally tested; Rodney Patton, the homicide chief who sees what others miss; and Greg Flynn, Amanda’s father-in-law and the man whose moral center guides others in the storm.