It’s getting cold here in New England!  Time to get cozy!  Cozy mystery that is!!   Stephen from First Rule Publicity has given me the opportunity to introduce today’s author, Ms. Abigail Keam!!!

ABIGAIL KEAM

Abigail Keam is an award-winning author who writes the Josiah Reynolds mystery series about a beekeeper turned sleuth.

Death By A HoneyBee won the 2010 Gold Medal Award for Women’s Lit from Reader’s Favorite and was a Finalist of the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011. Death By Drowning won the 2011 Gold Medal Award for Best Mystery Sleuth and also was placed on the USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books of 2011.

Ms. Keam is also an award-winning beekeeper who lives on theKentucky Riverin a metal house with her husband and various critters.
Connect with the author at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

GUEST POST

HOW SHOULD MYSTERY AUTHORS WRITE?

To tell an individual the proper procedure to write a novel is like telling a human the correct way to make love.  There is no correct way.  It is just what feels natural and good.

Some authors write twenty pages a day while others plod out one.

Some authors write every day.  Others write when the mood hits them.  Just go with your gut feeling.  Do what’s right for you.

Break The Rules

 Introduce New Characters

I do things like introduce new characters in the last chapter of the book.  A big no-no.  The reason I can justify this is that I don’t look at each book in my Josiah Reynolds mystery series as stand-alones, but rather a continuation of the story line.  Only the mystery in each book is complete, but Josiah Reynolds’ life continues from book to book.

Keep The Fat Out

Another thing I do is keep my stories short.  It is best to leave the stage with the audience wanting more.  Don’t overwrite or your readers will tire of your work.

Add A Little Hot Sauce

If you are writing a series, turn things upside down in your novels.  Do the unexpected with your characters.  Be careful though.  Changing too much like killing off a favorite character can cause a backlash among your readers.  Just sprinkle hot sauce rather than pour it on.

Don’t Always Solve The Mystery

When writing a series, you must keep the reader interested.  In other words, keep them on their toes.  I don’t always solve the murders in my stories or I turn the murder upside down in another book – whom the reader thought to be the murderer in one book turns out to be the wrong person in another book as I double-back on the plot.

Why?

Because even a beloved mystery series can become stale if the same formula is used in every novel.  I have seen this with Sue Grafton’s books.  I love Sue Grafton and her shamus, Kinsey Milhone and think the Alphabet series is fabulous, but I have started noticing that fan are tiring by reading unflattering reviews on Amazon.  That never used to happen.

I think Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime, was able to avoid such unkind criticism because each of her books and series was so different.  Ten Little Indians is so different from a book like The Mirror Crack’d.

So keep your stories fresh.

Flaws And Your Sleuth

Your sleuth, regardless if he/she is a professional or amateur, should have a flaw or a conflict his/her nature in order to have depth.  The only sleuth that is sweet/good and gets away with it book after book is Nancy Drew.

Sleuths that enjoy a long publishing life are those who keep the reader intrigued such as Sherlock Homes.  Why is he still so fascinating to us?  Because we love his intellect and his rudeness.  Also we are curious about his mysterious sexuality.  Is Sherlock heterosexual, homosexual or just bored with sex?  Does he want to “canoodle” with Watson?

Miss Marple?  Well, she is a busy-body – sort of the Mary Worth of death.  Oh dear.  You don’t know who Mary Worth is?  Look her up.  Miss Marple is always watching or listening to private conversations.  That would put any neighbor on edge.

Kinsey Milhone is a loner, unable to commit.  She reminds me of a skittish cat.  Kinsey also prides herself on lying.  Still Kinsey is a fascinating shamus and a person who I would like to know personally.

My sleuth, Josiah Reynolds, has serious health problems and is prone to complaining.  She sometimes uses bad judgment.   She is fat and middle-aged, but that is what my readers love about her.  She comes off the pages as a real person.

I have given you just a few tips.  Some may even be useful.  Good luck with your writing and I hope to read your books in the future.
Abigail Keam is the author of “Death By A HoneyBee” and “Death By Drowning”.  Both books were listed as Finalists on the USA BOOK NEWS “Best Book List 2011”.  “Death By Bourbon” is her new book.   www.abigailkeam.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

Life takes a dramatic turn for Josiah when she witnesses a death at an engagement party for guess who . . . Matt.  Matt?  Yes Matt.

Charming socialite Addison DeWitt falls into a fit after taking a sip of bourbon.  That would be upsetting enough but Josiah is sure it is murder. However, no one will believe her except for Lady Elsmere and Meriah Caldwell, the famous mystery writer.  The three of them conspire to bring the murderer to justice.  It turns out that the suspect is always three steps ahead of them.

To make matters worse, Josiah’s daughter, Asa, decides to move to London, Franklin leaves town and Jake starts singing a different turn.  Josiah doubts her ability to meet the future alone.  Maybe it’s time to sell the Butterfly and move to Florida with the rest of the old folks.

REVIEWS:
“Abigail Keam writes with vision and understanding. Her tale is fresh and original…after all…what could beekeeping and murder have in common? Readers will have no trouble being drawn into this charming mystery. Keam leaves the reader yearning for more. DEATH BY DROWNING is an excellent second effort by Ms. Keam. Characters and action are well wrought, and the plot sizzles.”
Midwest Book Review, Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer, July 8th 2011

“Ms. Keam’s writing is more like lyrical prose, leaving the readers wanting to know more of Josiah’s life and clamoring for the next book. This can be read as a stand-alone book, but I highly recommend reading the first book – DEATH BY A HONEYBEE.” BOBBI’S BOOK NOOK, JULY 30TH, 2011
Amazon Purchase links: PB    EBook

THANKS TO AUTHOR ABIGAIL KEAM, I HAVE ONE (1) SIGNED
COPY OF THIS BOOK. U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY.
AND TWO (2) EBOOK EDITIONS (.mobi or ePub). OPEN TO ALL.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO THE
CMASH READS GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

Tour Wide Giveaway!
A tour wide giveaway is being offered, which features a grand prize of a set of all four of Abigail’s books, signed, plus 3 8oz honeys from Abigail’s very own been hives!  2 signed copies of Death By Bourbon have been made available for a pair of runner-up prizes.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER
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 affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

When Samantha, from JKS Communications, contacted me about the novel written by today’s guest and reading the synopsis, I knew I wanted to share the details with you.  So I ask, please help in  giving a warm welcome to Mr. Tony Hubbard!

TONY HUBBARD

Tony Hubbard grew up like most boys in Massachusetts during the 1980’s, wanting to emulate basketball star Larry Bird and one day play for the Boston Celtics. Quickly realizing that a future as a professional athlete was something he would not achieve, he did the next best thing – became a sportswriter. As a long-time sportswriter, Tony covered high school, collegiate and professional sports, most notably covering the death of Boston Celtics’ star Reggie Lewis for The Patriot Ledger.

Growing up and reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, he one day aspired to publish a novel in the horror genre as his ‘writing heroes’ were famous for. After many years away from writing, leaving his professional writing career behind to make a move into the production and advertising side of the publishing business, Tony makes a return with his debut novel. Eighteen years in the making, A Demon Lies Within, releases November 2012 from Two Harbors Press.

A follower of Greek Mythology, he sees himself in the same vein as the Greek God Dionysus, the Greek God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. Dionysus not only represents the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. According to Tony, we should strive to be like Dionysus.

Massachusetts born and bred, Tony has lived all across the state throughout his life. Today he is settled in Dracut with his wife and son.

Follow Tony:

  @TonyHub      A Demon Lies Within    Tony Hubbard

GUEST POST

Now that my debut novel A Demon Lies Within is completed, published and reaching the masses, having achieved the goal of publishing a novel I feel is akin to a professional sports team reaching the playoffs. Having your novel published and making the playoffs are HUGE accomplishments in their respective ways and not to be viewed lightly. Though, once that goal has been achieved your focus needs to be towards the next set of goals.

Once a professional sports team reaches their sports’ respective postseason the ultimate goal for them becomes crystal clear – win the championship.

While there isn’t a championship trophy for me to strive for with this book, what then becomes my goal(s) for A Demon Lies Within?

I’ve come up with three goals I am striving for. Reaching any one of them would be like winning a playoff game. Reaching all three would be getting the championship trophy.

The goals are:

1. To sell 5,000 (print and eBooks combined) copies of A Demon Lies Within.
2. To appear in a segment on the FOX25 morning news in Boston for a 1-on-1 interview to promote my book and discuss the advancement of self publishing as part of the accepted ‘norm’ for the publishing community.
3. In writing the lead female character of Katelyn McMurray, I used actress Amy Adams as inspiration and had her in mind the entire time I was writing the novel. This goal would be to have Ms. Adams read a copy of A Demon Lies Within.

While I admit these are lofty goals, are long-shot goals really any different than a team having 20-1 odds of winning a championship? Though a long shot, there’s always a CHANCE it could happen.

There’s an old adage in sports that essentially says, ‘You just have to reach the playoffs because once there anything can happen’. Now that my book is published I’ve gotten to the playoffs and it has afforded me the chance to sell a high number of books, appear on a TV news show, or have a famous Hollywood actress read my novel.

I would be ecstatic if I reached any one of three goals, though I have to admit the one I’m favoring slightly above all others is having Amy Adams read my book

As I sat down to start the letter I would include with the ‘Demon merchandise care package’ I was going to send Ms. Adams (which included an autographed copy of my book, an autographed 12X18 poster of the cover along with bookmarks and business cards) the following thoughts came to mind:

I felt like Linus, the Peanuts character as he was writing his letter to The Great Pumpkin, wanting to have the most sincere pumpkin patch possible so The Great Pumpkin would appear. I wanted to write the most sincere letter possible to Ms. Adams so she would not only read just the letter but read my book as well.

The other thought I had was to include one of Will Ferrell’s lines from the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Ms. Adams was in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Ferrell and played the role of his assistant so there is a connection there.

Upon meeting Veronica Corningstone for the first time, Burgundy tells her, “I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.” I thought that would be a great line to include in the letter as part of introducing myself, provide a laugh within the context of essentially begging her to read my book and have it fit within the criteria of writing the ‘most sincerest’ letter possible.

Whether or not Ms. Adams reads my book or I am able to reach either one or both of my other goals is unclear at this point. If none of them were to happen, it’s not such a big loss. I’ve already secured a great achievement in my life; I finished writing and published the novel I never thought or imagined would ever be finished. But why couldn’t one, two or all of them happen?

As I hold a printed copy of A Demon Lies Within in my hand it serves as the perfect example for anything’s possible.

I look forward to the day I receive Ms. Adams’ thoughts on A Demon Lies Within. I bet she’ll love it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The powers of hell that lie within are very real…
 
Following his murder, Andrew McMurray finds himself transported to the depths of hell. There he is indoctrinated as an apprentice to a demon master, Sonneillon. Exposing Andrew to the dark reaches of his evil powers, Sonneillon demonstrates a demons’ ability to posses, torment and control the thoughts and actions of the living. Andrew’s ultimate goal following his apprenticeship? Revenge on his wife, Katelyn and young son, Joshua, both of whom he holds responsible for his murder.

As Katelyn rebuilds her life, following her husbands’ death, she meets Michael Gordon, a recent escapee from Corporate America, who has his own troubled, tragic past. As their relationship grows, they realize they share something more than their burgeoning love for one another — the powers of hell have deeply impacted their pasts. Evil continues to insinuate itself into the pair’s lives, bringing with it haunting and unspeakable horrors.

Andrew’s plan of revenge begins to materialize once he inhabits Joshua, having him act out in often violent and disturbing ways. With possession of Joshua’s mind and body complete, will hell’s ultimate evil goals come to pass, or can the local priest of a small Maine town exorcize Father from Son? At stake, doom-laden repercussions for all involved…and perhaps the world as a whole.

Book Details:
Paperback, $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-938690-35-8
Horror Fiction, 403 pages
Two Harbors Press, Nov. 13, 2012

THANKS TO JKS COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY TO GIVE AWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

I am humbled, to have been asked by Jodi from WOW! Women On Writing, to host and introduce you to today’s guest.  A fitting tribute for Veteran’s Day and to respect and honor all those that have selflessly fought for our freedom.  So I ask, to help me give a warm welcome to Karen Fisher-Alaniz!

Karen Fisher-Alaniz

Karen Fisher-Alaniz was born and raised in Washington state. She taught special education for fourteen years before embarking on a new path as a writer. Although she’d been writing for fun since first grade, she’d never considered writing a book until her father handed her a collection of letters on his 81st birthday. Since then, she’s toured bookstores and other events signing her book, inspired audiences with her public speaking, and was even interviewed by NPR’s Audie Cornish for the Weekend Edition. She lives in Walla Walla, WA.
Visit Karen Alaniz’s at her website here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

On his 81st birthday, without explanation, Karen Fisher-Alaniz’s father placed two weathered notebooks on her lap. Inside were more than 400 pages of letters he’d written to his parents during WWII. She began reading them, and the more she read, the more she discovered about the man she never knew.

They began to meet for lunch every week, for her to ask him questions, and him to provide the answers. It was through this process that she discovered the secret role he played in WWII. Karen’s father was part of a small and elite group of men who were trained to copy and break top-secret Japanese code transmitted in Katakana.

Through this journey, with painful memories now at the forefront of his thoughts, Karen’s father began to suffer, making their meetings as much about healing as discovery. Thus began an unintended journey–one taken by a father and daughter who thought they knew each other–as they became newly bound in ways that transcended age and time.

“It’s a story that left me covered with goosebumps time and again and eventually moved me to tears…” ~ J.A. Jance, NY Times Bestselling Author  

Just Thought You Should Know:
Breaking the Code is a double memoir, the journey of Karen’s father during World War II and Karen’s journey half a century later as she struggled to find the real truth about her father – for her sake and for his. To celebrate this unusual memoir giveaway copies will contain bookplates signed by both Karen and her 91 year old father.

Amazon link

THANKS TO AUTHOR, Karen Fisher-Alaniz, AND WOW, I HAVE
ONE (1) COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVEAWAY. OPEN TO ALL FOR
EBOOK AND/OR PRINT COPY FOR U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author. This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.
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.

Am I the only one, who wishes, that I knew how to speed read?  There are so many books that I want to read but real life keeps interfering.  And today’s guest has such a book, that is now on my TBR list.   I wanted to introduce you to him so that you will also put him on your list.  So without further ado, meet T.J. Cooke!!!

T.J. COOKE

TJ Cooke, otherwise known as Tim, was formerly a legal executive in London, specialising in criminal law.

He became the legal advisor to the BBC’s most popular drama Eastenders, before going on to write many episodes of broadcast drama himself. He has notched up writing credits for some of UK’s most popular series, including ‘London’s Burning’, ‘The Bill’, ‘Bad Girls’, ‘Family Affairs’ and ‘Madson’ with Ian McShane.

Tim has dovetailed his screenwriting career with advertising copywriting and freelance journalism. He has written numerous television and radio commercials for a variety of well known companies, and compiled features and articles for magazines and newspapers.

Writing under TJCooke, his debut novel, ‘Kiss and Tell’ has been hailed as innovative and inventive crime fiction. It introduces us to unorthodox lawyer Jill Shadow who some say is a cross between Kay Scarpetta and Erin Brockovich.

The book will be available on Amazon Kindle this Autumn, with TJ Cooke’s second novel to follow.
Visit T.J. at his website here.

GUEST POST

Inspiration and motivation…

I now work as an advertising copywriter, mostly writing radio commercials.

My very first job however was as an ‘outdoor clerk’ at a busy legal firm inLondon. This mostly involved helping lawyers prepare cases for trial. If they were criminal cases it invariably meant organising visits to remand prisoners in Brixton, Wormwood Scrubs and Holloway. The firm also represented victims of domestic violence, tenants in dispute with their landlords and individuals who had been either been injured or unfairly treated by their employers.

This job was supposed to last six weeks! It was a post-university ‘filler’ and I was meant to be following a career in advertising; in fact I’d been offered a job at a prestigiousLondonagency. However, as it transpired, I ended up spending ten years working in the law, mostly as a legal executive, and largely focussing on crime in deprived areas.

I had a vast range of clients and cases, and every now and again one would come along that left an uneasy feeling. Though I still like to think that our justice system is by and large a sound one, there are cases that seep through the cracks, sometime leaving the guilty unpunished and the innocent unfairly convicted. It’s these grey areas that have always interested me… and this is often where the most compelling stories can be found.

Looking back now I realise I always wanted to write for a living, but until another opportunity presented itself I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I had long since realised that I was not a lawyer by choice, or desire.

It was a chance meeting, atLondon’s famous ‘Old Bailey’ Court that was the catalyst. I had a client on a murder trial, who had a character witness who happened to be the then producer of BBC’s Eastenders. The client was actually acquitted after only fifteen minutes of jury deliberation, one of the quickest on record. He had been attacked himself by two muggers in South London, but he’d fought back and stabbed one mugger with the mugger’s own knife, as it transpired fatally.

After the case had finished the show’s producer told me she was looking for an advisor, someone who could help with their criminal storylines and in particular the upcoming murder trial of character Nick Cotton. That’s how it all got going. I went to the set at Elstree, met all the cast and crew and before long was pitching scripts for the show. As it happened ITV’s The Bill offered me a script first, so I went to their studios in Merton and worked for them for a while. Then I got a tv agent and worked on Family Affairs,London’s Burning, Bad Girls and a few others.

Though I enjoyed the tv work I had a bug to write something original and thought this could best be expressed in novel form. This coincided with my move to Devon six years ago, which is when I first set about writing ‘Defending Elton’ and then ‘Kiss and Tell’… and the story goes from there…

Though I enjoy crime fiction I found that there was a certain template that many writers stuck to. It’s one that often involves a serial killer at large and one or two detectives who ultimately ‘get their man’. These stories can be great in their own way but they weren’t for me.

I deliberately set about creating narrative and character that approached crime fiction from a different angle. I guess I’ve always been a creative person and whether its writing adverts for radio listeners or books for readers I always try to create something original.

Hence Jill Shadow was born. A maverick protagonist, someone who doesn’t always get things right, or pursue matters in an orthodox way. What Jill Shadow does have though is a steely determination, to fight any injustice and to dig out the truth.  She has no agenda either, she doesn’t work for the state, has no political affiliation and no particular axe to grind. She treats everyone as equals and will take on any client, just as if she was a cab driver and they were in a queue at a taxi rank.

This has its own risks. Jill won’t be bought, won’t toe the line regardless and won’t take no for an answer. It’s as likely to lead her into scrapes with authority as it is with the underworld… and in ‘Kiss and Tell’ it does both, with plenty of twists and turns along the way…

ABOUT THE BOOK

Down to earth lawyer Jill Shadow has overcome a traumatic past, one kept hidden from both professional colleagues and her 12 year old daughter Hannah. When imminent danger sees Jill transferred to a safe house, and her daughter abducted from school, Jill soon realises it’s a past she must confront…

Desperate to piece things together, Jill knows there are two key events which might help the authorities trace her missing daughter…. her involvement in the Bella Kiss drug case, and the release of her former partner Jimmy Briscoe from a lengthy jail term.

With time running out, Jill takes matters into her own hands…setting out to find her missing daughter and discover where the real truth lies…

Review:
With his first novel, TJ Cooke introduces us to Jill Shadow, the accidental lawyer with a past she wants to stay hidden. But despite her best efforts, it catches up with her at the speed of a hurtling train and threatens not only her but her daughter Hannah. The various strands of both her personal and professional life slowly become inextricably linked until all becomes clear as the book reaches its climax. This is a crime thriller with soul and a page-turner to boot. I am sure this is not the last we’ll see of this tenacious lawyer. Highly recommended! Tim Kevan – Bloomsbury Author and former Times and Guardian blogger

Purchase link: Amazon

THANKS TO AUTHOR, T.J. COOKE, I HAVE ONE (1) EBOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO ALL

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

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 affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Boy do I have a treat for you today!!!  If I know my followers, I know a lot of you are going to enjoy  today’s guest.   I want to thank Jihan, from The Hachette Book Group for giving me the opportunity of hosting today’s guest, New York Times Bestselling Author, Roxanne St. Claire!!

ROXANNE ST. CLAIRE

Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels. She currently writes romance for Grand Central/Forever, including the popular “Guardian Angelinos” series and also penned an eight-book award winning series called The Bullet Catchers. Next year, Delacorte Press will release her first Young Adult novel, which has been optioned as a feature film.  She resides in Florida.
Visit her website: www.roxannestclaire.com

 GUEST POST

It’s Raining Kisses!  Roxanne St. Claire

As I write this, I’m watching Hurricane Sandy dump buckets of rain on the east coast of Florida and that makes me want to…kiss.  What can I say?  I’m a romance writer.  And I am celebrating the release of Barefoot in the Rain, a book with a few hot kisses in the rain.

A real kiss in the rain is probably not as glamorous as in books and movies.  I mean, what a mess, right?  Your hair is matted, you mascara smears, I bet it’s cold with all that water pouring over you!  But that’s why we call it fiction, folks!  I did a little research and have come up with my five favorite “rain kisses” in the movies…and there is no shortage of them!  To compile my list, I got some ideas from my Facebook fans (thanks, guys!) and my own memory.  My five favorite rain kisses, in order…

5. Four Weddings and A Funeral.  This kiss makes the list because Hugh Grant is so adorable in this movie and the kiss is amazing.  Andie MacDowell’s line (“Is it raining? I hadn’t noticed.”) does fall into the cheeseball category, but bruised Hugh gets high marks for his one of a kind grovel and a lopsided proposal.

4. The Notebook.  This one’s so visually stunning, it made the movie poster!  Also, the hero’s line is sheer perfection.  “It wasn’t over.  It still isn’t over.”  Then Ryan Gosling does a perfect snag and crush kiss and we all melt in the rain.  Nice.

3.  Spider Man – This one got a lot of votes as a memorable romantic moment in an otherwise high-action film.  Naturally, Spidey has to do it upside down.  Would we expect any less?

2. Breakfast at Tiffanys – I recently watched this with my daughter, expecting her to hate this blast to the past in this 1960’s classic.  But she fell in love with Audrey Hepburn (who wouldn’t?) and we were both teary during the incredible “the end” kiss in the rain with George Peppard.  Of course, the cat steals the scene!

1. A Cinderella Story — the “touchdown” kiss.  This is my all time favorite but not because it’s the most swoonworthy of all kisses.  As rain kisses go, it’s very chaste and sweet , like the film itself.  I chose this kiss for #1 because  I. Love. This. Movie.  I find it completely charming and simply cannot bear to pass up Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray when I’m channel surfing.  The movie is in my personal top ten rom com flicks, so the adorable kiss during the first drop of rain following a California drought it definitely delicious for me.

Bonus:  Not a rain kiss but since we’re in Barefoot Bay, that secluded and romantic inlet that is the setting for all four books in the series, how about a great beach kiss, too?  My favorite is from the classic  From Here to Eternity…is that not the best sandy kiss ever?  Wet enough to qualify for Rain Kisses, this one Iands a special place of honor on our list.

What’s on YOUR rain kiss list? Leave a comment below and one winner gets a “Barefoot Bundle” — copies of Barefoot in the Sun and, of course, this week’s brand new release, Barefoot in the Rain!

ABOUT THE BOOK

THANKS TO JIHAN, FROM THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
TWO (2) COPIES TO GIVEAWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

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.

I have seen today’s guest’s book around cyberland, so when Lauren from Blue Dot Literary contacted me, I knew I would love to have the author stop by to tell us about it.  So without further ado, Mr. Paul Batista!

PAUL BATISTA

Paul Batista, novelist and television personality, is one of the most widely known trial lawyers in the country. As a trial attorney, he specializes in federal criminal litigation. As a media figure, he is known for his regular appearances as guest legal commentator on a variety of television shows including, Court TV, CNN, HLN and WNBC. He’s also appeared in the HBO movie, You Don’t Know Jack, starring Al Pacino.

A prolific writer, Batista authored the leading treatise on the primary federal anti-racketeering statute, Civil RICO Practice Manual, which is now in its third edition (Wiley & Sons, 1987; Wolters Kluwer, 2008). He has written articles for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The National Law Journal.

Batista’s debut novel, Death’s Witness, was awarded a Silver Medal by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). And his new novel, Extraordinary Rendition, is now being published—along with a special reissue of Death’s Witness—by Astor + Blue Editions.

Batista is a graduate of Bowdoin College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and Cornell Law School. He’s proud to have served in the United States Army. Paul Batista lives inNew York City andSag Harbor,New York.

GUEST POST

WHY MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM BUSY LAWYER TO NOVELIST?

More basically, why exit from a business with a good regular paycheck to a business where the financial rewards are uncertain?  Why exchange a suit for a casual shirt and jeans?  I get asked these questions a lot, and they are in fact questions I ask myself.

Let’s start with a disclaimer.  I haven’t entirely abandoned the practice of law.  This is work I’ve done for more than thirty years, and old habits die hard. Besides, I like it. More important is the fact that the legal work I do provides fuel for the novels I write.  A criminal case or even a civil lawsuit involves a story, a narrative.  Part of the function of a lawyer is to shape the narrative — not to fabricate facts but to tell a story.

Creating fiction, however, does give me a license to do more than just shape the narrative of a case.  In writing a novel I have the ability and the incentive to weave imagined events together, to create personalities and personal histories, to generate intrigue and conflict.  In practicing law, I’m confined by facts — and those facts can be extremely interesting given the nature of the work I do — but there are no such constraints in writing fiction.

There’s another factor.  Law is a highly regulated business.  No matter how independent you may be as a lawyer, there are people known as judges.  They require you to do specific things on their schedule, not on yours.  They want you to do things their way, not necessarily yours.  They tend to have outsized personalities — wearing a robe can transform a guy or gal who in civilian clothes is demure and shy into a muscled-up action figure.  And there are also clients.  They get to call you in the middle of the night.

The external controls on fiction-writing are different.  Sure, an editor can set “deadlines” but those are more goals and aspirations rather than drop-dead dates.  You can be disbarred for missing a judge-imposed deadline if you do that too often.  The worst a publisher can do is get mad at you.

But the most important reason for transforming myself into a novelist from a practicing lawyer is the beauty of transformation.  The stuff of a novelist’s life is different from the stuff of a lawyer’s life.  Creating novels is a liberating experience; you can let loose your imagination.  I find I can have a passion and a drive that, even though I’ve loved practicing law, I can’t completely tap into in a courtroom. You hear commencement speakers constantly delivering to young graduates the trite mandate to “follow your passions.”   As you move through life and hit the jarring realities of jobs, families and obligations, you can get cynical about those conventional admonitions to follow your passions, live out your dreams, and fulfill your talents.

But those inspirational messages do have meaning, at least for yours truly. Even a lawyer can break out of the constraints of the life he or she has lived.  There is something invigorating, even for a seasoned adult, in taking risks and having the courage to give up security and embrace something unknown, strange, exciting — fresh.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Ali Hussein—suspected terrorist and alleged banker for Al Qaeda—is finally transported from Gitmo to theUSmainland to stand trial, many are stunned when Byron Carlos Johnson, pre-eminent lawyer and the son of a high-profile diplomat, volunteers as counsel.  On principle, Johnson thought he was merely defending a man unjustly captured through Rendition and water-boarded illegally. But Johnson soon learns that there is much more at stake than one man’s civil rights.

Hussein’s intimate knowledge of key financial transactions could lead to the capture of—or the unabated funding of—the world’s most dangerous terror cells. This makes Hussein the target of corruptUS intelligence forces on one side, and ruthless international terrorists on the other.  And, it puts Byron Carlos Johnson squarely in the crosshairs of both.

Pulled irresistibly by forces he can and cannot see, Johnson enters a lethal maze of espionage, manipulation, legal traps and murder. And when his life, his love, and his acclaimed principles are on the line, Johnson may have one gambit left that can save them all; a play that even his confidants could not have anticipated. He must become the hunter among hunters in the deadliest game.

Written by no-holds-barred-attorney Paul Batista, Extraordinary Rendition excels not only as an action thriller, but as a sophisticated legal procedural as well; tearing the curtains away from the nation’s most controversial issues.

Provocative. Smart. Heart-pounding. A legal thriller of the highest order.

Purchase Links:        Amazon               B&N

Watch for my review in the near future.

THANKS TO LAUREN, AT BLUE DOT LITERARY,
I HAVE ONE (1) COPY OF THIS LEGAL THRILLER TO
GIVE AWAY.   OPEN TO U.S. and CANADA RESIDENTS.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

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 affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Are you like me?  Do you want to read every new book that you see?  Your TBR list is huge? But real life interfere’s in reading time?  Wishing you don’t have to grocery shop, clean the house, bring the kids to activities, etc., etc., and wishing you could just read 24/7?  Well, here is another book to add to your list.  Liz, from Meryl L. Moss Media, contacted me and when I read the synopsis, I knew it was a book I wanted to share with you.  So please help me in welcoming, Ms Lori Foster to CMash Reads.

LORI FOSTER

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Fosterhas become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author.

Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, so she routinely arranges events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

GUEST POST

1.      How do you see the romance community as a whole (your readers and fellow authors)? Where do you see it in 10 years? What’s the best part about it?

The romance community has the most wonderful women and men in the entire world! Unique, friendly, open and caring. We love talking books, of course. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a rapport, a connection to the storylines, how they relate and don’t relate to real life romances, situations and circumstances. Many times readers can find a small part of themselves in the stories. That often opens a dialogue about real-life issues, the trials we have, what we survive and what we celebrate. People are so diverse that every day I hear, see, learn something new from my readers.

The current “open to the public” networking can be worrisome. So many people put their hearts out there for all the world to see. Used to be we kept our lives private and only shared certain aspects of ourselves. Now we share everything and only choose certain aspects to keep private. That’s the only downside to an otherwise amazing connection. When people share too much, they leave themselves vulnerable in so many ways. Identity theft has become a #1 worry!

But I believe societal trends are cyclical. Before my end of time, I’m sure we’ll find people pulling back and rebelling against the “tell all” mode of social networking. In the meantime, it’s just fabulous to have a forum for chatting with readers. I feel like I know so many of them, even though we’ll never meet in person.

ABOUT THE BOOK

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LORI FOSTER goes undercover in steamy new thriller

A police detective goes undercover to investigate a murder, and his target is a mousy young lady he believes is the link he needs to solve the case. But little does he know that his plain-Jane suspect has her own secrets that will turn his case head over heels before it’s over. From award-winning author Lori Foster comes RUN THE RISK (HQN Books; October 2012; $7.99 U.S./$9.99CAN.), the first book in her brand-new original series.

When handsome construction worker Logan Riske moves next door to the dowdy young Pepper Yates, she can’t believe her luck. Her new beau has everything she wants in a guy—looks, charm, style.  He also has one thing she doesn’t even suspect—a badge.

Loganis really an undercover cop investigating the homicide of his best friend and he’s sure that the shy, introverted Pepper is concealing the whereabouts of her eyewitness brother, Rowdy.Loganneeds Rowdy’s testimony to bring crime boss Morton Andrews to justice for the murder, and he’ll go to any lengths to obtain it—even seducing Rowdy’s wallflower sister.

The longerLogan’s seductive charade goes on, however, the more he starts to see through Pepper’s drab exterior to the true beauty beneath. Despite all his training,Logancan’t stop himself from falling for Pepper.  But to warn her now will cost him any chance of trapping her brother and bringing his friend’s killer to justice. Like it or not, Logan’s going to see this masquerade through to the end, even if it costs him what he now values most—Pepper.

But Pepper Yates is no one’s fool. She and her brother have managed to survive on the run by trusting no one, especially a flirtatious neighbor with romantic intentions. Despite her undeniable attraction toLogan, Pepper isn’t about to risk her brother’s life by falling prey to her passions.

But no matter what she does, it may be too late. Rowdy is already caught in the killer’s crosshairs and Pepper knows it’s up to her to do whatever it takes to save him no matter who stands in her way…evenLogan.
Follow Lori Foster’s tour here.

Excerpt:
As if he knew her thoughts, he gave a warm laugh and stepped out of the doorway. “See you later, Sue.”

Not if I see you first. “Goodbye, Logan.” She started to close the door.

And he said, “Now that wasn’t so painful, was it?”

She clicked the door shut in his face, then dropped against it.

Painful? Not exactly.

Book Details:
RUN THE RISK
Lori Foster
HQN Books; October 2012
384 pages; $7.99 U.S./$9.99 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-77695-5
www.LoriFoster.com

THANKS TO LIZ AT MERYL L. MOSS MEDIA/THE BOOK TRIB, I HAVE ONE (1)
COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVEAWAY. U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

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.

WooHoo!!!  Heeeee’s baaack!  If you follow me, then you know how much I enjoy Vincent Zandri’s novels.  I have read every single book except one and that is waiting for me in my Kindle.  And today is super special because not only is he back to talk about one of newly published books, today he kicks off his tour with Partners In Crime Tours.  So please help me give a very warm welcome to author and friend, Vincent Zandri!!

VINCENT ZANDRI

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL, MOONLIGHT RISES, SCREAM CATCHER, BLUE MOONLIGHT and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT. He is also the author of the Amazon bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL, TRUE STORIES and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described THE INNOCENT (formerly As Catch Can) as “…gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting,” while the New York Post called it “Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant!” Zandri’s list of publishers include Delacorte, Dell, StoneHouse Ink, StoneGate Ink and Thomas & Mercer. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri’s work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian, and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he lives in Albany, New York. For more go to WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM

Visit Vin at his website, Facebook and Twitter.

Follow Vincent Zandri’s tour here and enter to win a copy of Concrete Pearl, Moonlight Rises and/or Blue Moonlight.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Now you see her. Now you don’t…

Captain Nick Angel has finally made a separate peace with the war in Afghanistan. Since having been ordered to bomb a Tajik village which resulted in the death of a little boy of no more than two, he’s been suffering from temporary bouts of blindness. Knowing the he needs time to rest and recover from his post traumatic stress, the US Army decides to send him to Venice along with his fiancee, the artist, Grace Blunt. Together they try and recapture their former life together. But when Grace suddenly goes missing, Nick not only finds himself suddenly alone and sightless in the ancient city of water, but also the number one suspect in her disappearance.

A novel that projects Hitchcockian suspense onto a backdrop of love and war, The Disappearance of Grace is a rich, literary thriller of fear, loss, love, and revenge. From the war in the Afghan mountains to the canals of romantic Venice, this is a story that proves 20/20 eyesight might not always be so perfect and seeing is not always believing.
See my review here.

Read an excerpt:

Purchase links:    AMAZON link    B&N link