Guest Author, The Book Trib/Media Muscle

Guest Author Rebecca Coleman

CMash October 23, 2012 Leave a Comment

Rebecca Coleman last visited in September of 2011 so when Alissa from The Book Trib contacted me, to be part of Ms. Coleman’s latest tour, it was an automatic yes!! So without further ado, Ms. Rebecca Coleman!!

REBECCA COLEMAN

A New Yorker by birth, Rebecca Coleman grew up in the close suburbs of Washington, D.C., in an academic family. A year spent in Germany, at the age of eight, would later provide the basis for the protagonist’s background in “The Kingdom of Childhood.” She first learned about the Waldorf School movement at age 14 and quickly developed a fascination with its culture and philosophies. After studying elementary education for several years at the University of Maryland, she graduated with a degree in English, awarded with honors. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband and their four young children.
Visit Rebecca at her website and follow her tour here.

GUEST POST

How can we as a society be more supportive of veterans?

Not long ago I clicked through a Facebook link to read the heartbreaking and deeply moving love story of Taylor Morris, a U.S. soldier rendered quadruple amputee by an IED in Afghanistan, and his girlfriend Danielle. Told in a series of photographs, the story of love and sacrifice and resilience moved me to tears, and I was thrilled to see that readers of the website The Chive had raised over $250,000 to buy Taylor his dream cabin beside a lake. The story is beautiful by any measure, but I am a hopeless softy for any story of a soldier’s homecoming. Turn on a video of a dog bounding out of the house to greet his returned master, and I’m blubbering within seconds.

The trouble with these things, and the sense of triumph and comfort they leave us with– that they’re home, that they’re bouncing back, that everything can go back to normal now– is that it’s false. Rubbing the dog’s belly isn’t the last scene in that soldier’s personal war movie; most likely, it’s somewhere in the middle. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs statistics show that between 25 and 30% of soldiers display symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and many don’t seek treatment in the first place. Of those that do, many receive ineffective or halfhearted treatment. While researching my novel Heaven Should Fall, I was determined to paint an accurate picture both of PTSD and of the VA’s typical handling of it in a soldier reluctant to admit his need for help. The result of that is Elias Olmstead, a young guy full of loves and hopes and pain he can’t articulate, who patrols his own house at night, sleeps in his sneakers, and struggles not to freak out at loud noises and throttle his sister’s kids.

The thing about PTSD is, it affects not only the soldier who suffers from it, but that soldier’s entire family. Husbands or wives welcome home a partner who can seem very unlike the loved one they sent off to war, and the resulting friction impacts the kids. A soldier’s parents, too, can feel helpless and deeply troubled to see an adult son or daughter carrying the invisible scars of battle– all the more if they encouraged or warned against it. The suicide rate among active-duty soldiers and combat veterans is climbing to an alarming level. And as community mental health services become, more and more, the victims of budget cuts, these families are left with fewer and fewer resources from which to seek help. Especially in rural areas, these facilities are often the lifeline for families who live far from a VA hospital or who– in the case of unmarried partners, for example– aren’t eligible for those benefits. To put it bluntly, those who claim to support military families, but favor candidates who want to paint every social service as a frivolous use of tax dollars, are escalating the problem. Never in our nation’s history has there been a more important time to support community-based mental health care than now.

I know that the picture I’m painting is a grim one, but positive change is within our grasp. We can support organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project and the Coming Home Project, and we can stay mindful, this election season, of how our votes will impact the resources that military families depend on to help their soldiers come home in mind as well as body. Because the feel-good stories feel best when we know there’s substance to our actions, and that we’re here for them, as long as it takes.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Alone since her mother’s death, Jill Wagner wants to eat, sleep and breathe Cade Olmstead when he bursts upon her life—golden, handsome and ambitious. Even putting college on hold feels like a minor sacrifice when she discovers she’s pregnant with Cade’s baby. But it won’t be the last sacrifice she’ll have to make.

Retreating to the Olmsteads’ New England farm seems sensible, if not ideal: Jill and Cade will regroup and welcome the baby, surrounded by Cade’s family. But the remote, ramshackle place already feels crowded. Cade’s mother tends to his ailing father, while Cade’s pious sister, her bigoted husband and their rowdy sons overrun the house. Only Cade’s brother, Elias, a combat veteran with a damaged spirit, gives Jill an ally amidst the chaos, along with a glimpse into his disturbing childhood. But his burden is heavy, and she alone cannot kindle his will to live

The tragedy of Elias is like a killing frost, withering Cade in particular, transforming his idealism into bitterness and paranoia. Taking solace in caring for her newborn son, Jill looks up to find her golden boy is gone. In Cade’s place is a desperate man willing to endanger them all in the name of vengeance…unless Jill can find a way out.

EXCERPT

“We both run, too,” I told him. “I ran track in high school, and Cade’s always training for some half marathon or another. So we go running together a lot.”

“I bet Cade tries to outrun you,” Elias said, “competitive son of a bitch that he is.”

“And you wonder why I don’t bring you home to meet my family,” Cade said to me. “You hear the stuff they say about me?”

Elias laughed low. “Just speaking the truth, bro. She’s got to learn it sometime.”

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.

Guest Author, Partners In Crime Tours, Showcase

Guest Author Vincent Zandri

CMash October 22, 2012 Leave a Comment

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:

The wind picks up off the basin.
It seems to seep right through my leather coat into flesh, skin and bone. I try and hold my face up to the sun while the waiter takes our orders. Grace orders a single glass of vino russo and a pancetta and cheese panini. I forgo the Valpolicella and order a Moretti beer and a simple spaghetti pomadoro. The waiter thanks us and I listen to him leaving us for now.We sit in the calm of the early afternoon, the sounds of the boat traffic coming and going on the basin filling my ears. People surround us on all sides. Tourists who have come to San Marco for the first time and who’ve become mesmerized by it all. I don’t have to physically see them to know how they feel. The stone square, the Cathedral, the bell tower, the many shops and high- end eateries that occupy the wide, square-shaped perimeter. The pigeons. The people. Always the throngs of people coming and going amidst a chorus of bells, bellowing voices, live music emerging from trumpets, violins, and guitars, and an energetic buzz that seems to radiate up from underneath all that stone and sea-soaked soil.It’s early November.Here’s what I know about Venice: In just a few week’s’ time, the rains will come and this square will be underwater. The ever sinking Venice floods easily now. The only way to walk the square will be over hastily constructed platforms made from cobbled narrow planks. Many of the tourists will stay away and the live music will be silenced. But somehow, that’s when Venice will come alive more than ever. When the stone is bathed in water.The waiter brings our drinks and food.
With the aroma of the hot spaghetti filling my senses, I dig in and spoon up a mouthful. I wash the hot, tangy sauce-covered pasta down with a swallow of red wine.

“Whoa, slow down, chief,” Grace giggles.

“Eating, smiling, making love to me. What’s next? Writing?”

“Don’t press your luck, Gracie,” I say. “The sea change can occur at any moment. Just don’t start asking me to identify engagement rings.”

She laughs genuinely and I listen to the sounds of her taking a bite out of her sandwich. But then she goes quiet again. Too quiet, as if she’s stopped breathing altogether.

“There’s someone staring at us,” she says under her breath.

“Man or woman?” I say, trying to position my gaze directly across the table at her, but making out nothing more than her black silhouette framed against the brightness of the sun. Later on, when the sun goes down, the image of her will be entirely black. Like the blackness of the Afghan Tajik country when the fires are put out and you lie very still inside your tent without the benefit of electronic night vision, and you feel the beating of your never- still heart and you pray for morning.

“Man,” she whispers.

“What’s he look like?”

“It’s him again. The man in the overcoat who was staring at us yesterday.”

A start in my heart. I put my fork down inside my bowl. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I think. He’s wearing sunglasses this time. So,. I think it’s him.”

“What’s he look like?”

“He’s a thin man. Not tall. Not short. He’s got a dark complexion.”

“Black?”

“No. More like Asian or Middle Eastern. He’s wearing sunglasses and that same brown overcoat and a scarf. His hair is black and cut close to his scalp. His beard is very trim and cropped close to his face.” She exhales. I hear her take a quick, nervous sip of her wine. “He keeps staring at us. At me. Just like yesterday, Nick.”

“How do you know he’s staring at you? It could be something behind you, Grace. We’re in Venice. Lots going on behind you. Lots to see.”

She’s stirring in her chair. Agitated.
“Because I can feel him. His eyes…I. Feel. His. Eyes.”

I wipe my mouth clean with the cloth napkin. I do something entirely silly. I turn around in my chair to get a look at the man. As if I have the ability to see him right now, which I most definitely do not.

“What are you doing?” Grace poses, the anxiety in her voice growing more intense with each passing second.

“Trying to get a look at him.”

“You’re joking, Nick.”

I turn back, try and focus on her.

“You think?”

We sit silent.
Once more I am helpless and impotent.

“I’m sorry,” she says after a time. “I’m not trying to insult you. This isn’t like yesterday with the ring. But this man is at the same café we’re at two days in a row? This is really starting to creep me out, babe.”

My pulse begins to pump inside my head. Not rapid, but just enough for me to notice. Two steady drum beats against my temples. I find myself wanting to swallow, but my mouth has gone dry. I take a sip of beer thinking it will help.

“He’s coming towards us, Nick. I don’t like it.”

Heart beat picks up. I feel it pounding inside my head and my chest.

“Are you sure he’s coming towards us, Grace?” I’m trying not to raise my voice, but it’s next to impossible.

“He’s looking right at me. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his overcoat. And he’s coming.”

I feel and hear Grace pulling away from the table. She’s standing. That’s when the smell of incense sweeps over me. A rich, organic, incense-like smell.

There comes the sound of Grace standing. Abruptly standing. I hear her metal chair push out. I hear the sound of her boot heels on the cobbles. I hear the chair legs scraping against the stone slate. I hear the sound of her wine glass spilling.

“Grace, for God’s sakes, be careful.”

But she doesn’t respond to me. Or is it possible her voice is drowned out by what sounds like a tour group passing by the table? A tour group of Japanese speaking people. But once they pass, there is nothing. No sound at all other than the boats on the basin and the constant murmur of the thousands of tourists that fill this ancient square.

“Grace,” I say. “Grace. Stop it. This isn’t funny. Grace.”

But there’s still no response.
The smell of incense is gone now.
I make out the gulls flying over the tables, the birds shooting in from the basin to pick up scraps of food and then, like thieves in the night, shooting back out over the water. I can hear and feel the sound-wave driven music that reverberates against the stone cathedral.

“Grace,” I repeat, voice louder now. “Grace. Grace…Grace!”

I’m getting no response.

It’s like she’s gone. Vanished. But how can she be gone? She was just sitting here with me. She was sitting directly across from me, eating a sandwich and drinking a glass of wine. She was talking with me.
The waiter approaches.

“The signora is not liking her food?” he questions.

I reach out across the table. In the place where she was sitting. She is definitely not there.

“Is there a toilet close by?” I pose. “Did you see my fiancée leave the table and go to the toilet?”

The waiter pauses for a moment.

“I am sorry. But I did not. I was inside the café.”

“Then maybe somebody else saw her. Maybe you can ask them.”

“Signor, there are many tables in this café and they are all filled with people. And there are many people who walk amongst the tables who can block their view. I am looking at them. No one seems to be concerned about anything. Sometimes there are so many people here, it is easy to get lost. Perhaps she just went to the toilet like you just suggested, and she got lost amongst the people. I will come back in moment and make sure all is well.”

I listen to the waiter leaving, his footsteps fading against the slate.
Grace didn’t say anything about going to the toilet or anywhere else. Grace was frightened. She was frightened of a man who was staring at her. A man with sunglasses on and a cropped beard and a long brown overcoat. He was the man from yesterday. The man with black eyes. He was approaching us, this man. He came to our table and he smelled strongly of incense. He came to our table. There was a slight commotion, the spilling of a glass, the knocking over of a chair, and then Grace was gone.

I sit and stare at nothing. My heart is pounding so fast I think it will cease at any moment. What I have in the place of vision is a blank wall of blurry illumination no longer filled with the silhouette of my Grace.

I push out my chair. Stand. My legs knock into the table and my glass spills along with Grace’s.

I cup my hands around my mouth.

“Grace!” I shout. “Grace! Grace!”

The people who surround me all grow quiet as I scream over them.

The waiter comes running back over.

“Please, please,” he says to me, taking me by the arm. “Please come with me.”

He begins leading me through the throng of tables and people. He is what I have now in the place of Grace. He is my sight.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I beg. “Did you check the toilets?”

“We checked the toilets. They are empty. I am sorry. I am sure there is an explanation.”

“Grace is gone!” I shout. “A man took her away. How could no one have seen it?”

“You’re frightening the patrons, signor. Please just come with me and we will try and find her.”

“She’s gone,” I repeat. “Don’t you understand me? My. Grace. Is. Gone.”

Purchase links: AMAZON link B&N link

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.

Author, Book Review, Partners In Crime Tours

Review “The Disappearance Of Grace” by Vincent Zandri

CMash October 22, 2012 3 Comments

The Disappearance of Grace by Vincent Zandri
Published by: StoneHouse Ink
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
ASIN: B0099C5UFU
Pages: 271
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis:
Now you see her. Now you don’t…

My Thoughts and Opinion:

Caveat: If you visit often, then you know Vincent Zandri has been a favorite author of mine, since I read his first book Moonlight Falls back in May of 2010. Since then I have read most of his books and enjoyed each and every one. One thing I want to stress is, that just because it is a Vincent Zandri novel, I will always write an honest review as to what my thoughts are on any particular book.

This book wasn’t just a romance. This book wasn’t just a psychological thriller. This book wasn’t just a suspenseful mystery. It was all those and more! Riveting!!! As in all of Vincent Zandri’s books, he grabs the reader within the first few paragraphs and literally does not let go until the final word. The chapters short with little cliff hangers whereas you HAVE to read a couple more chapters, and then find yourself with half the book read. The suspense mounted and the pages just kept turning.

Because I have read most of his books, other than the Moonlight series, I can see slight differences in his stand alone novels. His writing is just a bit difference, which makes for a new reading experience with every story. For me, that is a talent and gift of master story telling. The difference in this book was the subplot of a romance. I feel I also experienced one other change. Even though I was reading a psychological thriller, I felt that the author was also “playing the reader”. I found myself wondering, if the story that I was reading, was at “face value” or something different, which led to reading this book in 2 sittings. Heart pounding!!!

The plot was intense!! Nick and Grace sitting in an outside cafe in Venice, trying to accept Nick’s blindness after being affected by PTSD during the war. And the love of your life disappears right in front of you. But you don’t see a thing. Neither do those also sitting at the cafe. How does Nick, with his blindness, begin to look for her? The police nor the Embassy seem to believe him. Did she just leave? Or was she kidnapped? A white knuckle read!!

Zandri delivers another knock out novel. And in the first round!!! Thrilling and chilling!!!

(2012 Challenges: JFF, FR, Where are you, A-Z, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

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.

Mailbox Monday, Meme, Monday Memes, Musing Mondays

Monday Memes

CMash October 22, 2012 1 Comment

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:
Do you ever get crushes on fictional characters? Name one (or a few), and tell what you liked…

My response:
I’ll admit….I sure do. And with each book I pick up by one particular author, I know I will “swoon” with his male characters. What author am I speaking of? Michael Baron!! I was introduced to this author 3 years ago, and every book he has written since, I have read. His characters are kind, loving, compassionate, romantic, sensitive, endearing and the list goes on. How could a female not be enamored by those qualities? If you have never read a Michael Baron book, then it’s time. I guarantee you will be swept off your feet!!!! Here are just a few of his books that I highly recommend: Leaves, Spinning, A Winter Discovery, When You Went Away, The Journey Home.

October is being hosted by Parchment Girl

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
Click on title for synopsis via IndieBound. (I am an IndieBound Affiliate)

Sunday: Falling In Love by Stephen Bradlee from Author
Monday: Extraordinary Rendition by Paul Batista from BlueDot Literary
Monday: Blackberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayer from The TBR Pile-Won from BlogFest
Monday: Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne from The TBR Pile-Won from BlogFest

Meme, Sunday Memes, Sunday Salon

Sunday Salon–It’s Official

CMash October 21, 2012 2 Comments

Happy Sunday!!!

Wanted to share some exciting news with everyone.

It is official, the “Mash” family will be celebrating a very Blessed and beyond happy, special day on Nov. 16th, 2013. My youngest son, Mark and my beautiful future daughter-in-law, Jess, have booked their wedding.

Even though, we have known for a while that Jess was the one who held our son’s heart and even though we were excited when Mark proposed on July 13th, now that we know the date, I am feeling so many emotions. Love, happy, excited, thankful, beaming, being so proud of both of them, lucky that I am getting a daughter that we truly love as our own. I am also recalling so many memories of the past 26 years. When did my baby, he is our youngest, grow up and become a man that both Steve and I are so proud of. We are truly blessed.

It seems like yesterday that Steve and I were on our way to the hospital to welcome our 2nd child into the world and to find out what “it” was. I can vividly remember, because we hadn’t agreed on a name. I was a few weeks early, and in between contractions trying to decide on a boy’s and girl’s name. Unfortunately, there were complications and I was rushed to the OR . As I was waking up from the anesthesia, the nurse said to me, “meet Mark James”. At first I was just so relieved that he was OK, that it was then that I realized “it” had been named by Steve. We had discussed the name Mark so I was fine with it. And the years that followed, I can honestly say were the happiest moments of my life. I was lucky to be a SAHM for both boys and enjoyed every minute of it. Even though, there were times that they, both Paul and Mark, almost pushed me over the edge lol.

Mark: You will always hold a special place in my heart of being my baby. And right now, my heart is overflowing with love and pride. Even though you had your moments like when you “painted like Daddy” your room with vaseline, when you accidentally gave your brother a concussion after hitting him with a golf club at the range, or like the day when you picked up “your” first car and within 15 min had an accident. I will always treasure those special days that were “ours” right before Christmas when you helped with our Christmas Eve feast, decorating the house, watching you build your 3D puzzles, always wanting to learn whatever crafts that I was working on, your compassion towards others, your sensitivity and caring, overcoming obstacles and graduating college Magna Cum Laude and so much more. I want to publicly thank you for Jess. I love you.

Jess: Welcome to the family, officially. We liked you the minute we met you when you were “friends” with Mark while in college. We were so happy when Mark told us that “it was official, you were a “couple”. As time went on, I could see that you had Mark’s heart and knew that you were the one. We always loved you for being you, but you will always hold a special place in my heart also. You make my son so happy and for that, I love you. I can hear it and see the special smile when he says your name and can see the love in his eyes. In my heart, you are much more than my future daughter-in-law, you are our daughter. I love you.

I am looking forward to this upcoming year. So exciting!!! My baby is getting married and I am getting a daughter. And how could I not include and say thank you for another special member of our family……….Baylee!!

This was a picture of her the first time that she was coming to visit from PA to RI. They will be here in a few weeks to attend a family wedding and I can’t wait to see the 3 of them.!! I love you!!

Aloha Friday, Friday Memes, Meme

Aloha Friday

CMash October 19, 2012 11 Comments

Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

Lately I have been inundated, more so than usual, with spam both in my mail spam folder and on my blog. The other day I deleted 19 spam comments on my blog and in a day I get up to 20-40 in my mailbox. Which brings me to my questions for today:

My Questions:
Have you seen an increase in your spam,
both in your mailbox and blog?
Approximately how many a day for each, mailbox and blog?

Giveaway, Winners

And the winner is…….

CMash October 18, 2012 1 Comment

…..of Sonia’s Song by Sonia Korn-Grimani

38 Sandy Vandenberg Leave a Blog Post Comment

The winner has been notified and has 48 hours to respond with a mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Thank you to all that entered.

Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author A.J. Scudiere

CMash October 18, 2012 1 Comment

It’s old friend’s day. Which only means, a new book has been written. And A.J. is stopping back to tell us all about it. So without further ado, Ms. A.J. Scudiere!!

A.J. SCUDIERE

AJ Scudiere lives in a world where texture reigns supreme. Whether it’s air or virus or even location, it can be felt and smelled. At heart a biologist and avid student, AJ writes about the possibilities that keep us up late at night. The dark writer lives outside Nashville in an idyllic setting full of wildlife and open spaces.

The author has three suspense novels, Resonance, Vengeance, and God’s Eye. The fourth novel—Phoenix—is due out this fall.

At heart a biologist and avid student, AJ writes about the possibilities that keep us up late at night. Previous novels have won A Booky—top ten fiction novel of 2011, multiple Best Audio Fiction of the Year awards, and garnered 2 Audie Nominations.

The author has three suspense novels, Resonance, Vengeance, and God’s Eye. The fourth novel—Phoenix—is due out this fall.

GUEST POST

What makes a reader stay up all night with a good book?

There are a thousand different answers to that question and really only one: a character you care about and a good story.

When we talk about suspense novels (thrillers), we can define that even more. We now need a character we want to root for and a plot that convinces us something is very wrong here. One easy way to create this plot is to put our character in danger, the sooner the better! We can also let him walk around unknowing, while you—the reader—can see what he can’t.

Why do you like a character? Well, we all have our pet peeves, and when an author crosses that line, you probably won’t read further. But for the most part you have to either relate to or care for the character. All of us are different, so what we relate to will be different. For me, making the character as richly written as possible helps with this. One dimensional characters catch only readers who share that dimension in some way, depth means the reader can see more and therefore find more to latch onto.

For me, a plot has to have some level of reality to it. I’m not saying I’m against Fantasy or SciFi (my first novel was SciFi!) but as a reader—and therefore as a writer—I dislike plot points that simply happen. If a story needs an earthquake that shakes Florida to its core, or if New Yorkers suddenly riot and take over the city, it has to be believable. I need to buy in before I’ll read about a toddler on the quest for a holy grail. As a writer, it becomes my job to build that world for you. A world that makes you just a little concerned about the ground beneath your feet in Florida; one that makes you look sideways at New Yorkers . . . or toddlers!

What makes a good solid thriller is answers. You need your questions answered. Where is the killer going to strike next? What is the toddler going to do with that chalice? But what makes a great thriller is getting the satisfaction of figuring out the answer for one thing, while another question is arising. That’s what gets you involved. That’s what keeps you up at night when you have something to do early the next day. It’s what makes you wonder ‘what’s going to happen next?’ And that’s my job: to give you characters you understand. To give you a story that keeps you on your toes. To make you say ‘just one more chapter.’

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jason Mondy’s world is unraveling.

His seemingly secure job as a fire fighter is suddenly thrown into chaos.
The bright spot in his week is that he rescued two children from a house fire,
but he returns home that night to find all his furniture is missing.
His girlfriend has left him without warning and his nightmares keep him from sleeping.
Even just a simple trip home to find some rest leads his adoptive mother to sit him down
and tell him that maybe his troubles aren’t quite as innocuous as they seem.
Then she divulges a secret she’s kept for over twenty-six years . . .

Jason has a brother he doesn’t remember existed.

He doesn’t remember his life before he was adopted at age seven.
He only knows that he was rescued from the fire that took his birth mother’s life.
But the story is deeper than that, and the foundation on which he built his world is now cracking.
The brother he doesn’t remember it out there somewhere, left behind.

Armed with only this stunning new piece of information,
Jason embarks on a quest to find the truths buried deep in his past.
As he searches, one by one the pieces of his life fall like dominoes.
And the more he uncovers, the more everything he thought he knew
about himself and his past
begins to turn to ash.

His truth isn’t true at all . . .

THANKS TO SAMANTHA, JKS COMMUNICATIONS,
I HAVE THREE (3) SIGNED COPIES OF THIS BOOK,
ALONG WITH A HAT, TO GIVEAWAY. 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.