Guest Author DAVID MARLETT

CMash February 25, 2014 1 Comment

WELCOME DAVID MARLETT

DAVID MARLETT

David Marlett is an attorney, artist, and self-trained historian who grew up in a storytelling Texas family. He attended Texas Tech University where he earned multiple degrees in finance, economics and accounting. Subsequently, he earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

David has created and written stories and screenplays since childhood, and is particularly interested in richly textured history and the drama behind major courtroom battles, such as in his first novel, FORTUNATE SON. His second novel, AMERICAN RED, another historical courtroom drama, is due to be published in late 2014.

He is a serial entrepreneur focused primarily on the arts. (He once owned eight bookstores across the United States.) David currently speaks and lectures at conferences and universities on transmedia, storytelling, entrepreneurship in the arts, and crowdfunding. He has been a featured contributor to MovieMaker magazine, Digital Book World, and many other publications.

He has developed and sold a number of film scripts and has directed/ acted in many regional theatrical performances. David is also a photo artist whose work has appeared in several galleries across the United States, and can be also seen at www.MarlettPhotoArt.com. He lives outside Dallas, Texas, and has four children.
Connect with David at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Combining elements of a historical odyssey, a courtroom drama, and an epic adventure, FORTUNATE SON is based on the true story of the greatest trial in British history.

-A tale that spans Ireland, England, Scotland, and the American Colonies in the early 1700s
-The story which loosely inspired Robert Louis Stevenson in writing his novel, Kidnapped
-A narrative that involves the iconic Kennedy family, generations before they emigrated from Ireland

Meet James Annesley, son of 18th Century Ireland. Though you may have never heard his name before, his story has already touched you in profound ways. Now, for the first time, novelist David Marlett brings that incredible story to life.

Stretching from the dirty streets of Ireland to the endless possibilities of Colonial America, from drama on the high seas with the Royal Navy to a life-and-death race across England and up the Scottish Highlands, from the prospect of a hangman’s noose to a fate decided in the halls of justice, FORTUNATE SON is a powerful, relentless epic. Here nobility, duels, love, courage, revenge, honor, and treachery among family, friends and ancient enemies abound. And at its center is the most momentous trial in Irish history – the trial of Annesley v. Anglesea from which our modern “attorney/client privilege” was forged, and our concept of a “jury of one`s peers” was put to the test.

Carefully researched, vividly evoked, and lovingly brought to the page, FORTUNATE SON is an unforgettable work of fiction based on fact, one that will resonate deep within you long after you finish it.

Read an excerpt

Lord Arthur Annesley, the Sixth Earl of Anglesea, was slopped. He had been sitting alone at his oak table in the dark back corner of the Brazen Head Tavern since half-past ten that morning. Now, nearly five in the evening, he could hear fresh rain blowing across Dublin’s Merchant’s Quay, tapping the tavern’s windows, dripping heavy in pools along Bridge Street. He was floating, his white wig askew, his fat fingers tracing the blood groove of his gold-hilted rapier lying on the table. “He’s mine, he is,” he muttered to no one. “B’god, James is mine! So he is. She’ll never take him to England.” He glanced up with his one eye, the other having been long ago shot out by his wife’s cuckolding suitor. “My son’s mine,” he boomed. “Damn you all!” A violent cough overtook him until finally he lowered his chin, rivulets of perspiration trickling down his brow.

“‘Tis well known, me lord, James is yer son,” the tavern keeper offered. “Would ye like another?”

“Ney!” Arthur shook his head, muttering, “No more boys.”

“Ach nay, me lord—would ye like another pint?”

“Ha! Ney, Keane. Best be on m’way.” He stood shakily, steadying himself on the dark wall, sheathing his rapier.

“Well den, g’night sire,” the keeper said, gesturing with his bar towel.

Arthur tapped the wrinkles from his blue, Italian cocked hat. “Keane?”

“Aye, m’lord?”

“What be the cure….” He stumbled sideways, trying to buckle his sword sash. “What be the cure for a hangover? I’ll wager you don’t know.”

“Sleep, most likely,” Keane answered, moving across the small room, delivering a dram to a large man sitting alone. “What do ye think, sir?” he asked the man.

“I have no reckon,” the man muttered, his Scottish brogue rumbling low. “Leave me be.”

“I suppose a pinch o’ snuff might do ye, Lord Anglesea,” Keane guessed, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Ney, goddamn you, Keane!” His words a lather of grumbled mush, his arm a terrier in a fox hole, fumbling through the twisted coat sleeve. He spun, shoving his hand through. “I knew you didn’t know, you damn thievin’ Irishman. ‘Tis t’ drink again!” He staggered backward to the door. “That be the cure, b’god!”

“Aye, me lord,” said Keane. “So I’ve heard.” Now the Scotsman was standing too.

“T’ drink again!” Arthur bellowed, throwing his arms up. “T’ drink again, ‘tis all you need!” Turning, he careened through the doorway, along the rickety boardwalks, lurching into the muck of Bridge Street. “‘Tis all I need!”

A large hackney coach pulled by six horses was crossing the Father Matthew Bridge, gaining speed in the pelting rain. The horses snorted against the driver’s whip as he yelled from the box, his cloak flailing in the wet wind. “Up with ye curs! Now! Up! Up!” Again and again he cracked the long leather across their backs. The loud roar and stirring commotion of the coach and six easily cleared traffic from the bridge, opening a wide swath up Bridge Street beyond, like a plow cleaving mud. When the horses reached the quay on the far side of the River Liffey they were pulling so hard and running at such a blaze that all four wheels left the ground before crashing back to earth to spin in the slurry sludge. Galloping past the Brazen Head Tavern, with nostrils flared and eyes mad wide, they would not and could not stop for anything in their path.

Against the whir of voices the ale had loosed in his head, Arthur heard charging hooves, people shouting, and through the stinging rain, he saw a maniacal blur rushing him. But he couldn’t move. A black surging wall, yet he stood, stammering something about God. Finally one step toward the side, but it wasn’t enough—the violent impact threw him back and down. Twenty-four hooves thundered over him, snapping his right leg like straw, driving it into the thick mud. Another hoof trampled his gut, his ribs shattering. Instant fire. Then the coach hit him, the splinter bar catching his chin, the front axle crushing his larynx, cracking spine, whipping his head into the path of the rear wheels which slammed over him, mashing his face into the filth and black ooze.

His one eye fluttered open, stinging, but he couldn’t breathe. To one side he saw muddy boots and spurs—some standing, others moving away. His bloody mouth sagged, convulsing for air. He felt warmth trickle from his ears. Life abandoning him. Then, between the clamoring shouts and splashes, he heard the massive bells of Christ Church Cathedral begin their solemn peel, announcing the time. He stopped moving, and there in the shadows of his mind he saw James, no more than five, standing on a rocky hill, laughing, the sea air tousling his auburn hair. Suddenly James sprinted off, through an emerald field, clambered over a low stone fence, then raced on, away, toward a man who was waiting, watching—a man Lord Arthur Annesley, the Earl of Anglesea had never been.

BOOK DETAILS:

Publisher: The Story Plant
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Number of Pages: 350 pages
ISBN: 1611881595
ASIN: B00GQFBO26

PURCHASE LINKS:

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

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Guest Author BRIAN McGILLOWAY showcase & giveaway

CMash February 24, 2014 1 Comment

WELCOME BRIAN McGILLOWAY

BRIAN McGILLOWAY

Brian McGilloway is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Inspector Benedict Devlin series. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. After studying English at Queen’s University, Belfast, he took up a teaching position in St Columb’s College in Derry, where he is currently Head of English. His first novel, Borderlands, published by Macmillan New Writing, was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger 2007 and was hailed by The Times as ‘one of (2007’s) most impressive debuts.’ The second novel in the series, Gallows Lane, was shortlisted for both the 2009 Irish Book Awards/Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year and the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2010. Bleed A River Deep, the third Devlin novel, was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of their Best Books of 2010. Brian’s fifth novel, Little Girl Lost, which introduced a new series featuring DS Lucy Black, won the University of Ulster’s McCrea Literary Award in 2011 and is a No.1 UK Kindle Bestseller. The follow-up novel, Hurt, will be published in late 2013 by Constable and Robinson. Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife, daughter and three sons.
Connect with Brian at these sites:

Q&A with Brian McGilloway

Writing and Reading:
Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
A little of both. I think all writers are magpies anyway, picking up the shiny scraps of things they see in their own lives and others and fictionalizing them. Crime fiction is very good at responding to recent events, perhaps because most crime writers are producing a book a year, so their titles tend to be current. Plus, I think a lot of good crime writers are interested in issues of justice in society, so current events feed into that. In terms of personal experience, I think every character you create must have a least one small facet of your personality in there somewhere, even if you don’t wish to admit it.

Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
It varies from book to book. With Gallows Lane, I had a single sentence in mind for near the end and worked towards that. With Bleed a River Deep, I knew the ending from the start. With most of the others, I had a beginning and took it from there. Little Girl Lost, I had the opening but nothing else; it was a lot of fun to write that way.

Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
I tend to plot in thirds. When I start a book, I work out the first third or so, day by day; each of my books tend to be broken into days as well as chapters. Once I get a third of the way through, I take a pause and start plotting the next section, which is the slowest bit as you’re beginning to tie the various narrative strands around each other. The final third, I write pretty quickly because by that stage, you’ve a sense of where everything is going. I try to write every day – 1000 words per day. I never print out the book until the furst draft is complete. And one of the first people to read each book for me is my friend, Bob McKimm, who was my Latin teacher at school!

Is writing your full time job? If not, may I ask what you do by day?
I taught English in St Columb’s College in Derry for the past 18 years. I’ve taken a sabbatical since last September to focus on writing and to look after our kids so my wife could return to work; we have four children, ranging in age from 10 to 3. Now, after I drop the kids to school, I write until lunch time, then start the school runs again to collect them all.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
I love James Lee Burke’s novels. Michael Connelly, John Connolly, Ian Rankin. In terms of Irish writers; Declan Hughes, Stuart Neville, Adrian McKinty, Arlene Hunt, Tana French, Eoin McNamee, Alan Glynn, Declan Burke… the list could go on all day. Irish crime writing has exploded recently and there are new names appearing weekly.

What are you reading now?
I’ve two books lined up – both Irish writers whom I’ll be interviewing in their home towns in March as part of Creativity Month; Blue is the Night by Eoin McNamee and The Dead Ground by Claire McGowan.

Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
I’ve just finished the first draft of the third Lucy novel, which at the moment is called Sticks and Stones. It’s about the exploitation of the homeless in forced labour.

Fun questions:
Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
That’s a tricky one. Lucy is in her twenties so I don’t know too many Irish actresses of that age. An actress called Laura Pyper read a Lucy story for Radio 4 last year and both my wife and I agreed that she looked very much how both of us imagined Lucy might look.

Manuscript/Notes: hand written or keyboard?
Notes I handwrite in a little notebook – one or two for each book. I type the manuscript from the start.

Favorite leisure activity/hobby?
Probably going to the cinema. I love movies and love the seclusion and comfort of sitting watching a film on the big screen with a bucket of popcorn.

Favorite meal?
I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 10 years ago so I’ve had to forsake all my favorite meals now for gluten free options. I’m going to stick with curry, I think.

ABOUT THE BOOK

During a winter blizzard a small girl is found wandering half-naked at the edge of an ancient woodland. Her hands are covered in blood, but it is not her own. Unwilling or unable to speak, the only person she seems to trust is the young officer who rescued her, DS Lucy Black.

DS Black is baffled to find herself suddenly transferred from a high-profile case involving the kidnapping of a prominent businessman’s teenage daughter, to the newly formed Public Protection Unit. Meanwhile, she has her own problems—caring for her Alzheimer’s-stricken father; and avoiding conflict with her surly Assistant Chief Constable – who also happens to be her mother. As she struggles to identify the unclaimed child, Lucy begins to realize that this case and the kidnapping may be linked by events that occurred during the blackest days of the country’s recent history, events that also defined her own childhood.

LITTLE GIRL LOST is a devastating page-turner about corruption, greed and vengeance, and a father’s endless love for his daughter.

READ AN EXCERPT

There was definitely something moving between the trees. He’d been aware of it for a few moments now, a flitting movement he’d catch in the corner of his eye, weaving through the black tree trunks set vertical against the snow. At first he had dismissed it as the result of snow hypnosis from staring too long through the windscreen into the unrelenting downdraught of snowflakes.

Michael Mahon shunted the gearstick back into first as he approached the hill leading into Prehen. He knew almost as soon as he had shifted down that it was the wrong thing to do. He felt the wheels of the milk float begin to spin beneath him, could see the nose of the vehicle drift towards the kerb. He eased back on the accelerator, pumped the brakes in an attempt to halt the inexorable movement sideways but to no avail. He knew the wheels had locked and yet still the float shifted sideways, sliding backwards across the road, coming to rest finally against

Cursing, he shut off the engine and dropped down from the cab onto the road. Just behind him lay the edge of the ancient woodland stretching for several miles from Prehen all the way up to Gobnascale. Light from street lamps reflected off the snow, illuminating further into the woods than normal at this time of night. Black branches of the trees sagged in places under the increased weight of snow.

Shivering involuntarily, Michael turned his attention to the milk float again. He picked up the spade he’d left on the back for just such an emergency. As he was bending to clear the snow from the wheels he became aware once more of a movement in the woods, on the periphery of his vision.

It was cold, yet the goosebumps that sprang up along his arms and down his spine caused him to start. Brandishing the spade in both hands, he turned again to face the woods, dread already settling itself in the pit of his stomach.

A child came into the open at the edge of the trees. Her hair, long and black against the white background of the forest floor, looked soaked through, hanging lank onto her shoulders. Her face was rounded and pale. She wore a pair of pyjamas. On the chest of the jacket something was writt

When the girl saw him she stopped, staring at the spade he was holding, then looking at him, challengingly, her gaze never leaving his face, her skin almost blue from the luminescence of the snow. It was only as he stepped closer to her, crouching cautiously, his hand outstretched as one might approach an animal, that she turned and ran back into the trees.

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: 2/18/2014
Number of Pages: 305
ISBN: 9780062336583

PURCHASE LINKS:

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Guest Author ERIC C. LEUTHARDT ENDED

CMash February 24, 2014 Leave a Comment

WELCOME ERIC C. LEUTHARDT

ERIC C. LEUTHARDT

ERIC C. LEUTHARDT M.D. is a neurosurgeon and biomedical engineer as well as a recognized pioneer in neuroprosthetics. He is widely published in scientific journals and has received a number of scholarly awards in recognition of his contributions Dr. Leuthardt is the director of the Center of or Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology at Washington University School of Medicine, where he researches brain-computer interfaces. He is ranked as one of the most prolific inventors in the world, with more than 800 patents either granted of pending. REDDEVIL 4 is his first novel.
Connect with Dr. Leuthardt at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Hagan Maerici is on the verge of a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that could change the way we think about human consciousness. Obsessed with his job and struggling to save his marriage, Dr. Maerici is forced to put his life’s work on the line when a rash of brutal murders strikes St. Louis.

Edwin Krantz, an aging, technophobic detective, and his partner, Tara Dezner, are tasked with investigating the horrifying killings. Shockingly, the murders have all been committed by prominent citizens who have no obvious motives or history of violence. Seeking an explanation for the suspects’ strange behavior, Krantz and Denzer turn to Dr. Maerici, who believes that the answer lies within the killers’ brains themselves. Someone is introducing a glitch into the in-brain computer systems of the suspects—a virus that turns ordinary citizens into murderers. With time running out, this trio of unlikely allies must face a gauntlet of obstacles, both human and A.I., as they attempt to avert disaster.

BOOK DETAILS:

Number of Pages: 368 pages
Publisher: Forge Books
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN-10: 0765332566
ISBN-13: 978-0765332561

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO TRACY AT MEDIA MUSCLE,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
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FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 10th AT 6PM EST

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I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

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Guest Author PETER SACCO showcase & giveaway

CMash February 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

WELCOME PETER SACCO

Peter is the author of many international popular selling books published on 4 continents. He is also a regular resident expert on several television programs, as well as hosting the weekly Toronto radio show Matters of the Mind: Managing Relationships and Mental Health and the hit TV series Niagara’s Most Haunted. He is a highly sought after public speaker and entertainer. He resides in one of the most picturesque regions of the world, Niagara Falls, Canada where he calls home.
He has several free books and giveaways on his website
Connect with Peter at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

TOUCHED BY GRACE: A book many readers are calling a modern day “Notebook” meets a lovinlgy version of “Fifty Shades”. This book was originally posted on Facebook as an experimental book by Peter for one week and received over 2000 reads, with most readers stating it “touched their hearts in ways that lingered days after” and that most “read it cover to cover in one setting as it was too intense to put down”, and many women called it their “fantasy of what they were taught true love was supposed to be”!

BOOK DETAILS:

Number of Pages: 286 pages
Publisher: AUK Authors; 1.0 edition
Publication Date: July 24, 2012
ASIN: B008OWLV86

PURCHASE LINKS:

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

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Guest Author B.J. DANIELS showcase & giveaway ENDED

CMash February 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

WELCOME BACK B.J. DANIELS

B.J. DANIELS

B.J. DANIELS, a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author, wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of 37 published short stories. That first book, ODD MAN OUT, received a 4 ½ star review from Romantic Times magazine and went on to be nominated for Best Intrigue for that year. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award for romantic suspense and numerous nominations and awards for best book. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and two Springer Spaniels, Spot and Jem. When she isn’t writing, she snowboards, camps, boats and plays tennis. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Thriller Writers, Kiss of Death and Romance Writers of America.
Connect with B.J. at these sites:

ABOUT THE BOOK

Just how far are people willing to go to keep their secrets?

Protecting the citizens of Beartooth, Montana, is never an easy job. It’s been one year, and Sheriff Dillon Lawson still feels guilty that he couldn’t save his twin brother, Ethan. But the biggest test of his bravery comes when Tessa Winters arrives, claiming to be pregnant…with Ethan’s baby. At first, Dillon can’t decide if this beautiful woman is a con artist or a victim. If Ethan didn’t die in that car crash, then where is he—and why is he hiding?

Now, Dillon is prepared to do anything to uncover the truth—anything except admit his growing feelings for Tessa. But with violence threatening, Tessa and Dillon must trust in each other to save not only themselves…but also Tessa’s unborn child.

BOOK DETAILS:

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
ISBN-10: 0373778465
ISBN-13: 978-0373778461

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO AMANDA AT MEDIA MUSCLE,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS

FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW

GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 8th AT 6PM EST

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

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Guest Author CARLA NEGGERS

CMash February 22, 2014 Leave a Comment

WELCOME BACK CARLA NEGGERS

CARLA NEGGERS

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, with translations in 24 languages. Born and raised on the western edge of the beautiful Quabbin Reservoir in rural Massachusetts, Carla grew up with tales of her father’s life as a Dutch sailor and her mother’s childhood in northwest Florida.

At a young age, Carla began penning her own stories on a branch high up in her favorite sugar maple. Now she enjoys spending time at the family homestead (now a tree farm) with her six brothers and sisters and their families.

When she’s not writing, Carla loves to travel, hike, kayak, garden, and, of course, dive into a good book. She lives with her family in Vermont, near Quechee Gorge.
Connect with NAME at these sites:

Q&A with Carla Neggers

In your new book Cider Brook, your main character Samantha Bennett aims to solve a 300-year-old pirate mystery. What inspired you to throw pirates into the mix?
Pirates are endlessly fascinating! Samantha is a treasure hunter on a personal mission to prove a pirate buried treasure in quiet, little Knights Bridge. It’s a theory that’s gotten her into a bit of trouble. It also stirs up long-buried secrets in the out-of-the-way small town and gets the attention of Justin Sloan, a volunteer firefighter and Knights Bridge native who just might know more about buried pirate’s treasure than he’s willing to admit.

Have you ever discovered a “treasure” of your own that someone left behind?
When I was seven, my family moved into an 18^th-century carriage house in a small town much like Knights Bridge. An old man had lived there on his own for twenty-five years. It was quite the fixer-upper! We unearthed all sorts of “treasure” he left behind: musty books, a brass bed frame, an antique coffee-grinder, Depression glass bowls. It was great fun. It’s a gem of a house now. Our family homestead. My husband and I have lived in a number of old houses. I always find something left behind by previous residents that fires up my imagination.

How did growing up in a family of nine with a storytelling father impact your desire to become a writer?
My three brothers and three sisters and I loved to listen to my father’s stories of his childhood in Holland and his years at sea as a Dutch merchant marine and my mother’s childhood in a remote part of the Florida Panhandle. Their lives before we came along were so different from what we knew growing up in small-town New England! Their stories brought to life things I’d never seen or experienced. I pictured Dutch canals and cathedrals, war-torn Holland, cramped ship’s quarters, Florida swamps and beautiful camellias. There’s no question their true stories inspired me to create my own fictional stories.

When you first climbed up a tree with a pad and pen at age 11, did you know one day you’d become a famous writer?
I dreamed of becoming a published writer but it was because I loved to write! I had little idea of what that meant. After sixty-plus books, I love to write as much now as I did as a kid up in my favorite sugar maple. I’m happiest as a writer when I put aside the “business of publishing” and dive into the story at hand.

What do you love about the Swift River Valley series that sets the books apart from your others?
The Swift River Valley series returns me to my contemporary romance roots. It’s been great fun creating a small town and populating it with compelling, interesting people—and secrets! Secrets of the Lost Summer, the first book in the series, came to me in a whoosh. I could see Olivia Frost in Boston, picking up the pieces of her self-esteem after a friend’s betrayal and making the decision to take the bull by the horns and return to her hometown and open an inn. I could see Dylan McCaffrey, a wealthy ex-hockey player, getting Olivia’s letter to come clean up his eyesore of yard…at a house he didn’t know he owned in a town he’s never heard of. And Grace Webster, a starchy former teacher now in her 90s, with a fateful secret that affects Olivia and Dylan and surprises everyone in Knights Bridge. I knew I had to write this story! And as I wrote Secrets of the Lost Summer, I knew this out-of-the-way little New England town would yield more stories.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Being rescued by a good-looking, bad-boy firefighter isn’t how Samantha Bennett expected to start her stay in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. Now she has everyone’s attention—especially that of Justin Sloan, her rescuer, who wants to know why she was camped out in an abandoned old New England cider mill.

Samantha is a treasure hunter who has returned to Knights Bridge to solve a 300-year-old mystery and salvage her good name. Justin remembers her well. He’s the one who alerted her late mentor to her iffy past and got her fired. But just because he doesn’t trust her doesn’t mean he can resist her. Samantha is daring, determined, seized by wanderlust—everything that strong, stoic Justin never knew he wanted. Until now…

BOOK DETAILS:

Series: A Swift River Valley Novel (Book 3)
Number of Pages: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
ISBN-10: 0778315886
ISBN-13: 978-0778315889

PURCHASE LINKS:

Read an excerpt

Samantha Bennett slipped her grandfather’s antique silver flask into an outer pocket of her khaki safari jacket. He’d claimed the flask was from an old pirate chest, but she’d discovered in the three years since his death at ninety-six that not everything he’d told her had been factual. Harry Bennett had been a grand spinner of the strategic tall tale. He’d probably been drinking run from the flask when he’d spun the pirate-chest story.

No rum for me, Samantha thought, glancing around her grandfather’s cluttered office on the second floor of the Bennett house in Boston’s Back Bay. She’d filled the flask with the smoky Scotch he had left in one of his crystal decanters. If she was going to hunt pirate’s treasure, she figured she ought to have whiskey with her.

Although what could go wrong in little Knights Bridge, Massachusetts?

Her grandfather smiled at her from a framed black-and-white photograph hanging on the wood-paneled wall behind his massive oak desk. At the time of the photo, he’d been forty-seven roguishly handsome wearing a jacket much like hers. He’d just arrived back in Boston after the Antarctic trip that had sealed his reputation as a world-class explorer and adventurer. It had almost killed him, too. Her couple of nights’ camping in an out-of-the-way New England town hardly compared to an expedition to Antarctica.

She buttoned the flap of her jacket pocket. There were endless pockets inside and out. She was already forgetting where she’d put things—her phone, compass, matches, map, the earth-tone lipstick she’d grabbed at the last second, in case she went out to dinner one night during her stay in Knights Bridge.

Out to dinner? Where, with whom—and why?

If nothing else, a few days away from her grandfather’s clutter would do her good. He had been born on a struggling New England farm and had died a wealthy man, if also a hopeless pack rat. Samantha hadn’t realized just how much he’d collected in his long, active life until she’d been hired by his estate—meaning her father and her uncle—to go through his house and his Londom apartment. She swore she’d found fum wrappers from 1952. The man had saved everything.

The morning sun streamed through translucent panels that hung over bowfront windows framed by heavy charcoal velvet drapes. Her grandmother, who had died twenty-five years ago, when Samantha was four, had decorated the entire house herself, decreeing that gray and white were the perfect colors for this room, for when her husband was there, being contemplative and studious—which wasn’t often, even in his later years. He’d spent little time in his office, mostly just long enough to stack up his latest finds.

Samantha appreciated the effect of the filtered sunlight on the original oil painting that she’d unearthed from the office closet a few weeks ago. The painting was unsigned and clearly an amateur work, but it had captivated her from the moment she’d taken it out into the light. It depicted an idyllic red-painted New England cider mill, with apples in wooden crates, barrels of cider and a water wheel capturing the runoff from a small stone-and-earth dam on a woodland stream. She’d assumed it was untitled but two days ago had discovered neat, faded handwriting on the lower edge of the simple wood frame.

The Mill at Cider Brook.

Her surprise had been so complete that she’d dipped into the Scotch decanter.

She didn’t know if the mill depicted in the painting was real, but there was a Cider Brook in Knights Bridge, barely two hours west of Boston.

Of all places.

A quick internet search had produced a year-old notice that the town of Knights Bridge was selling an old cider mill in its possession. Had someone bought it? Was it still for sale?

Samantha had checked the closet for anything else her grandfather might have stuffed in there related to Cider Brook. Instead, she discovered a legal-size envelope containing about fifty yellowed, handwritten pages—the rough draft of a story called The Adventures of Captain Farraday and Lady Elizabeth.

She suspected but had no way to prove that the story was by the same hand as the painting, but it didn’t matter. It had sealed the deal, and now she had Harry Bennett’s antique silver flask tucked in her jacket and her plans made for her return to Knights Bridge—a town she had expected, and hoped, she would never have to visit again.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

GCP/Forever, Guest Author

Guest Author JILL SHALVIS showcase & giveaway

CMash February 21, 2014 2 Comments

WELCOME BACK JILL SHALVIS

JILL SHALVIS

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Connect with Jill at these sites:

Q&A with Jill Shalvis

Ben’s a bit lost at the beginning of the book, unsure of what he wants to do with his life. Did you always have his story—and how it would end—in mind?
I did. Every once in awhile, I really enjoy torturing a hero to the end.

Your main character Aubrey is remodeling her aunt’s bookstore so it can be a haven for other booklovers as it was for her when she was younger. Did you have a special place growing up (or do you have one now?) where you love to read?
I always had a soft spot for bookstores. And libraries. They were my special hideaway haven. I really went back and forth on using a bookstore in today’s day and age, but in the end, I wanted to pay homage to one of my favorite places on earth.

What scene did you have the most fun writing?
Oh I have quite a few from this book! When Aubrey throws her drink in Ben’s face, when she runs and hides out in an AA meeting and makes friends with the pastor, when Ben figures out she’s writing a list of people she’s wronged and he wonders that it’s not a lot longer than it is, when Aubrey gets a little tipsy and throws rocks at Ben’s window like a scene right out of the Say Anything movie …

What’s the most interesting way you got around a plot problem?
I wrote myself into a corner in Once In A Lifetime, twice. I wrote XX happens here and it will be brilliant and funny. And then I accidentally left that in when I sent it to my editor. I’m sure she wasn’t as amused as I was.

What can your fans look forward to next in the Lucky Harbor series?
Next up is a Lucky Harbor trilogy for this coming summer and fall, It’s In His Kiss, He’s So Fine, and Once In A Million, the stories of the three sexy hot guys who run Lucky Harbor Charters.

ABOUT THE BOOK

SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT
After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he’s back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she’s not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben – even though he has absolutely no idea what she’s done . . .

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?

Read an excerpt

A few snowflakes floated lazily out of the low, dense clouds. One block over, the Pacific Ocean carved into the harbor, which was lined by three-story high, rugged bluffs teeming with the untouched forestland that was the Olympic Mountains. Around him, the oak-lined streets were strung with white lights, shining brightly through the morning gloom. Peaceful. Still.

A month ago, he’d been in South America, elbows deep in a project rebuilding a water system for the war-torn land. Before that, he’d been in Haiti. And before that, Africa. And before that … Indonesia? Hell, it might have been another planet for all he remembered. It was all rolling together.

He went to places after disaster hit, whether man or nature made, and he saw people at their very worst moments. Sometimes he changed lives, sometimes he improved them, but at some point over the past five years, he’d become numb to it. So much so that when he’d gone to check out a new jobsite at the wrong place, only to have the right place blown to bits by a suicide bomber just before he got there, he’d finally realized something.

He didn’t always have to be the guy on the front line. He could design and plan water systems for devastated countries from anywhere. Hell, he could become a consultant instead. Five years of wading knee deep in crap, both figuratively and literally, was enough for anyone. He didn’t want to be in the right hellhole next time.

So he’d come home, with no idea what was next.

BOOK DETAILS:

Series: Lucky Harbor (Book 10)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
ISBN-10: 1455521132
ISBN-13: 978-1455521135

PURCHASE LINKS:

THANKS TO MARISSA AT GCP/FOREVER,
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Authoright, Giveaway, Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author JACK GINESI showcase & giveaway ENDED

CMash February 18, 2014 Leave a Comment

WELCOME JACK GINESI

JACK GINESI

Jack Ginesi is a collection of atoms roughly configured into human form. In accordance with Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, it is not possible to know, with any degree of accuracy, where he is and what he is doing at any given time (which is a constant source of irritation to his friends and family).

From a more conventional perspective, he lives near Tunbridge Wells in Kent – in fact, he has lived in the South-East of England all his life. He has not travelled extensively, he doesn’t participate in extreme sports (or even moderate ones) and he has never held a high powered job in the corporate world or the foreign office. He has never been a spy, an international gunrunner or a member of a boy band. He does, however, like to write, create artwork (usually depicting wolves or crystal skulls – occasionally both), play the guitar badly and think about things (pictured left) – interestingly he often turns monochrome when thinking hard.

At just 18-years-old Jack started writing about a fictional village in Southern Europe, building up a whole cast of gloriously oddball characters. At the same time he started to record his own experiences and observations on life. Finally, after many years, he drew the two together, transforming what started off as endless anecdotes into his debut novel, the Curious History of Joshua Ramdinkka.

He claims, somewhat predictably, that the Curious History of Joshua Ramdinkka is merely the first in a planned trilogy of books; although, given the amount of time he has spent arsing around on the first one, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for the second.

Jack is a proponent of the ‘Infinite Monkey’* school of writing.
Connect with Jack at these sites:

Q&A with Jack Ginesi

Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?
For the most part, I draw on my own experiences and observations. The book is set in a small European village, which is entirely fictitious. As the story is primarily allegorical in nature, I wanted to create an insular little world, cut off from external influences – a kind of laboratory where I could explore the psychology and motivations of the inhabitants. This tends to give the story a somewhat surreal edge; although it was nice to hear my father, who grew up in a provincial Italian town, remarking on how reading the book brought back memories of his childhood.

Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?
As a general rule, I start at the beginning because I tend to see the story unfolding like a movie in my head – I just follow it wherever it takes me. In the case of The Curious History of Joshua Ramdinkka, the book actually started out as several short stories that, over time, merged together. These became the history of the Ramdinkka family and helped to shape the character of the young Joshua.

Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?
Generally, I prefer to write in the evening or at night. The basic routine would be; start at around 7:30pm and then aim to write for about 3 or 4 hours. For me, there is definitely something about the night that seems conducive to writing, things just seem more intense and focused – I’m pretty sure that all the deepest philosophical conversations I’ve ever had, have taken place either late at night or in the wee small hours of the morning (and that had nothing to do with alcohol).

I have many idiosyncrasies, but I’m not sure that any of them relate specifically to my writing. I do have a ‘lucky’ green gnome that I got out of a cracker when I was a kid, it sits on the edge of my desk and watches me while I work – but I don’t know if that helps or hinders me.

Is writing your full time job? If not, may I ask what you do by day?
By day I am a mild mannered reporter for the Daily Plan… no, hang on a second, that’s somebody else, isn’t it? I do have something of a dual life though, I split my time between consultancy work in the corporate world and running a publishing company that creates spiritual and personal development products. I’m very fortunate in that my work is quite flexible, so I can always create more time to write if I want. The problem is, like many authors, I have a love/hate relationship with my books – so the amount of time I actually spend writing tends to depend of whether the book and I are on speaking terms at that particular moment or not.

Who are some of your favorite authors?
My favourite author would have to be the late, great Douglas Adams. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy books just fascinated me when I was younger. I loved the wonderfully wry observations – they were often deceptively simple, but incredibly insightful. And the passion for technology was also something that resonated with me. I am also a fan of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books – I am in awe of anyone who can conjure up such a vast and vibrant, living universe, in such exquisite detail.

What are you reading now?
At the moment, I am actually re-reading Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. In general, I tend to read more non-fiction than fiction. I have a fascination with anything spiritual, psychological and philosophical and these topics are always at the core of anything I write.

Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?
The next novel is in the planning stage. I like to think of it as a “parra-equel” to The Curious History of Joshua Ramdinkka. That is to say, it runs in parallel with the events of the first book (there probably is a proper word for that). The story follows Meloko’s life as told through his journal… but with a twist! And for the first time we’ll discover the unseen forces that played a part in Joshua’s downfall. I also have an idea for a third book that will bring things full circle and will reinstate Joshua to his rightful place in the family history.

Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?
That is an interesting question. As I said before, I always visualise the story when I’m writing and the characters are now so clearly defined in my mind that they feel like real people, so it’s strange to think of substituting them with actors. I think the role of Joshua would be particularly tricky to cast (as you will appreciate if you’ve read the book) but I think someone like Edward Norton might be a good choice. In terms of the villagers, I can think of plenty of great actors and actresses who could easily grace the streets of Potokini: Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Brian Blessed… Wow, can we just go ahead and make this thing?

Manuscript/Notes: hand written or keyboard?
The manuscript is always typed. I really couldn’t work without a word processor; I’m constantly changing, tweaking and generally tampering with things. I often make handwritten notes, there is always a pad and pen next to the bed and I have a little 3 inch by 3 inch spiral bound notepad that I usually carry with me. It’s proved invaluable as I often find inspiration strikes when I’m out walking.

Favorite leisure activity/hobby?
I spend around an hour a day meditating…although technically, I guess, that would be classed as an inactivity. Apart from that I love anything where I can be creative: writing, photography, artwork, music, web design – I can easily lose myself for days in a project.

Favorite meal?
Tuna Bolognese with Penne Rigate topped with melted mozzarella made to my own recipe… bellissimo!

ABOUT THE BOOK

“For though we share one planet, we inhabit many worlds.” – Barisko Volloti
Joshua Ramdinkka is having a bad day…that makes 14,768 and counting. It’s not like he asked to take over the running of the celebrated Ramdinkka vineyard but, as the last of his distinguished line, what choice did he have?

The suspicion that great grandfather’s ghost is trying to muscle his way back into the family business isn’t helping matters. Nor is the fact that his alter ego has accidentally killed the village mime. Now it seems the council is just itching to bulldoze his beloved family home. But is Joshua a victim or the architect of his own misfortune? The answer is staring him in the face but, with the Grim Reaper dogging his every step, can he really cheat death and reclaim his life or is he destined to fall foul of a classic cinematic cliché? Set in a bygone world of vineyards and village life, this is a novel about the choices we make and how they make us. It’s about living in the shadow of greatness, the perils of discovering you are God and the realisation that no one else will ever see the world quite the way you do.

The Curious History of Joshua Ramdinkka explores how we create our own reality. It is an intriguing and provocative tale of one man’s history, played out against the backdrop of a small, southern European village – filled with gloriously eccentric characters – and told with a wry, offbeat sense of humour. The book examines the relationship between life and death and raises numerous metaphysical questions, whilst touching on a number of spiritual themes. Whilst fiction, this thought-provoking book invites the reader to examine patterns in their own life. The idea that human experience is a matter of perception, and that all truth is subjective, is a powerful theme.

BOOK DETAILS:

Number of Pages: 346
Publisher: New Generation Publishing
Publication Date: January 29, 2014
ISBN-10: 1910162205
ISBN-13: 978-1910162200

PURCHASE LINKS:

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DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.