Cover Reveal After She’s Gone

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 Lisa Jackson Bio

Lisa JacksonLisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of more than 85 novels, includingAfraid to Die, Tell Me, You Don’t Want to Know, Running Scared, Without Mercy, Malice, and Shiver. She is also the co-author of the Colony Series, co-written with her sister, Nancy Bush. There are over 20 million copies of Lisa Jackson’s books in print in twenty languages.

Before she became a nationally bestselling author, Lisa Jackson was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, the USA Today, and thePublishers Weekly national bestseller lists.

With over thirty bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity – and back – in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions.  She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional and downright twisted.  As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims, and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.

For More Information

Visit Lisa’s website.

Connect with Lisa on FacebookTwitterPinterest and Goodreads
 

After She’s Gone

After She's Gone hi res compTitle: After She’s Gone
Author: Lisa Jackson
Publisher: Kensington Books

Cassie Kramer and her younger sister, Allie, learned the hazards of fame long ago. Together, they’d survived the horror of a crazed fan who nearly killed their mother, former Hollywood actress Jenna Hughes. Still, Cassie moved to L.A., urging Allie to follow. As a team, they’d take the town by storm.  But Allie, finally free of small-town Oregon, and just that little bit more beautiful, also proved to be more talented—and driven. Where Cassie got bit parts, Allie rose to stardom. But now her body double has been shot on the set of her latest movie—and Allie is missing.

Police discover that the last call to Allie’s phone came from Cassie, though she has no recollection of making it. Instead of looking like a concerned relative, Cassie is starting to look like a suspect—the jealous sister who finally grew sick of playing a supporting role. As the tabloids go into a frenzy, Cassie ends up on a Portland psych ward. Is she just imagining the sinister figure who comes to her bedside, whispering about Allie—a visitor of whom there is no record? Is someone trying to help—or drive her mad?

Convinced she’s the only one who can find Allie, Cassie checks herself out of the hospital. But a sudden slew of macabre murders— each victim masked with a likeness of a member of Cassie’s family—makes Cassie fear for her safety and her sanity. The only way to end the nightmare is to find out what really happened to Allie. And with each discovery, Cassie realizes that no one can be trusted to keep her safe—least of all herself…

PRE-ORDER INFORMATION

After She’s Gone is available for pre-order at  AmazonKobo and Google Play

Book Tours: Book Spotlight The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths

The-Strange-Death-of-Fiona-GriffithsTitle: The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths
Author: Harry Bingham
Publisher: Orion
Pages: 391
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Format: Paperback/Kindle

British author, Harry Bingham, blew critics and readers away with his crime debut, Talking to the Dead. His second novel, Love Story, with Murders, established DC Fiona Griffiths as the most compelling heroine in crime fiction. With this, the third novel in the series, comes Fiona’s darkest, strangest and most challenging assignment yet . . .

It started out as nothing much. A minor payroll fraud at a furniture store in South Wales. No homicide involved, no corpses. Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths fights to get free of the case, but loses. She’s tasked with the investigation.

She begins her enquiries, only to discover the corpse of a woman who’s starved to death. Looks further, and soon realizes that within the first, smaller crime, a vaster one looms: the most audacious theft in history.

Fiona’s bosses need a copper willing to go undercover, and they ask Fiona to play the role of a timid payroll clerk so that she can penetrate the criminal gang from within.

Fiona will be alone, she’ll be lethally vulnerable – and her fragile grip on ‘Planet Normal’ will be tested as never before …

For More Information

  • The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths is available at Amazon
  • The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths is available at Barnes and Noble
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

About the Author

Harry Bingham

Harry is currently writing a crime series, featuring a young Welsh detective, Fiona Griffiths. The series has sold to publishers in the UK (Orion), the US (Random House), as well as FranceGermanyItalySpain, the Netherlandsand elsewhere. The first novel was televised by Bonafide and broadcast onSky Living. The novels are notable mostly for the strong voice and strange character of their protagonist. The first three titles in the series are Talking to the Dead, Love Story with Murders, and The Strange Death of FIona Griffiths.

The books have had nice reviews in the BooksellerPublishers Weekly,KirkusNew York TimesNew York Daily NewsBoston GlobeSeattle Times,Washington PostDaily MailTelegraph, Times, Sunday Times, Western Mail (all behind paywall) Shelf Awarenesscrimefictionlover, and many more fine publications.
For More Information

Tour Schedule

February 2

Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping

February 3

Guest blogging at What is That Book

February 4

Book reviewed at Rainy Day Reviews

February 5

Interviewed at A Little Bit of R & R

February 6

Guest blogging at I Heart Reading

February 9

Book reviewed at The Phantom Paragrapher

February 11

Book featured at The Zen Reader

February 12

Interviewed at Review From Here

February 13

Guest blogging at From Paperback to Leatherbound

February 17

Interviewed at Literal Exposure

February 19

Book featured at Confessions of a Reader

February 20

Book featured at Tales of a Book Addict

February 24

Guest blogging at A Taste of My Mind

February 26

Interviewed at Niume

March 2 

Book featured at Voodoo Princess

March 4

Book featured at The Literary Nook

March 6 

Book reviewed at Harlie’s Books

March 9

Guest blogging at Romancing the Darkside

March 11

Interviewed at Blirt

March 12

Book featured at Inkslinger’s Opus

March 13

Interviewed at Pimp That Character

March 17

Interviewed at Pump Up Your Book

March 18

Guest blogging at She Writes

March 19

Interviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

March 23

Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life

March 25 

Interviewed at As the Page Turns

March 27

Guest blogging at Fiction to Fruition

April 6

Book review and Author interviewed at The Gal in the Blue Mask

April 7

Book featured at Lover of Literature

April 8

Interviewed at Straight From the Author’s Mouth

April 9

Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking

April 13

Book featured at Blogher

April 14

Interviewed at Examiner

April 15

Guest blogging at Bent Over Bookwords

April 16

Book reviewed at Celticlady’s Reviews

April 17

Book featured at The Revolving Bookshelf

April 21

Book featured at The Dark Phantom

April 22

Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz

April 23

Book reviewed at Review From Here

April 24

Book featured at All Inclusive Retort

Book Tours: Book Spotlight Small, Dark and Handsome

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About The Book

Small-Dark-and-Handsome-186x300Ethan Anderson desperately wants to find his soulmate and he’s convinced that his height of 5’6” is limiting his options. Not wanting to end up like his friends with shallow lives filled with clubs and one-night stands, Ethan turns to a popular dating website where he connects with Anna Collins, a born-again Christian who just may be the woman he’s been looking for. But, when she’s ready for a committed relationship, will Ethan be able to ignore his friends, abide by Anna’s celibate lifestyle, and look beyond her five-inch height advantage to see a future with her before she gives up and moves on?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Author Bio

Kevin D. Patterson is an experienced marketing writer and has developed communications for many of today’s leading brands, including HP, American Express, Oracle, and Deloitte. After much encouragement from friends and family, he decided to pursue his passion for creative writing, and the end result was his debut fiction novel, Small, Dark, and Handsome. Kevin was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, and has also lived in Michigan, New York, and overseas in India. He currently lives in Plano, Texas with his wife and son. A graduate of the University of Michigan’s MBA program, Kevin is an avid sports fan and tennis player. You can keep up with Kevin and his upcoming projects at www.kevindpatterson.com

Links

Website  http://www.kevindpatterson.com

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/kpztweets

 
 

Tour Schedule

February 2

Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping

February 3

Guest blogging at What Is That Book About

February 4

Book featured at Rainy Day Reviews

February 5

Guest blogging at The Dark Phantom

February 6

Book featured at I Heart Reading

February 9

Book reviewed at The Phantom Paragrapher

February 11

Interviewed at Review From Here

February 17

Interviewed at Literal Exposure

February 20

Guest blogging at Bent Over Bookwords

February 24

Interviewed at The Writer’s Life

February 25

Book featured at Romantic Reads and Such

February 26

Interviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

February 27

Book reviewed at Harlie’s Books

Book Tours: Book Spotlight Daughter of the Fallen

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Daughter of the Fallen 2Title: Daughter of the Fallen
Author: Madeline Wynn
Publisher: Book Baby
Pages: 250
Genre: YA paranormal
Format: Paperback

Purchase at AMAZON

Most sixteen-year olds aren’t worried about the fate of their immortal souls. May Krieg should be.

Typically, honor student May’s biggest problems have revolved around her super-hot arch-rival, Jack. But when a school project takes them ghost-hunting in a local cemetery, she discovers that an ominous force roams in the darkness around her.

And it follows her home.

It claws its way into her life, burning messages into her wall and imprinting them onto her body. Even worse, she can’t tell if it’s trying to possess her… or protect her.

May’s thoughts soon become actions, causing the target of her anger severe physical pain and giving her a rush the likes of which she has never experienced.  She quickly realizes that she needs to find a way to reign in this power before she kills someone. May hates the pleasure it gives her, hates herself for hurting others, but she can’t stop.

As her entire world shatters around her, she is forced to ask what her soul is worth– and who would she risk losing her soul to save?

(For readers who enjoy: teen paranormal romance, teen horror, teen romance, nephilim, demons, YA, YA horror, YA paranormal, YA romance, ghost stories)7

Book Excerpt

This is New England. And in New England, a town without a good witch hanging or ghost story just, well, isn’t considered to be a real town.  So when I walk past the iron gate of the cemetery and feel the urge to bolt riding up my legs like a herd of football players bum-rushing the food counter on taco day, I set my shoulders and do my best to cowboy up.

 Set between imposing stone walls and punctured by large granite fists, Hillside Cemetery definitely looks like it deserves its sinister reputation, making my attempt at bravery rather brief.  “This place sucks. Maybe we should just go.”

“Here, watch your step,” Cay says and holds out his hand to help me over the uneven cobbles just on the other side of the entry. Once we make it over the stones, he drops my hand and pulls the recording equipment out of the duffle.

We’ve been friends ever since kindergarten, when some boy taunted me for living in a “little troll house.”  Cay, the kickball king, told him that it was actually a gingerbread house, and everybody knows that only fairy princesses live in gingerbread houses.

He was wrong, of course; it was witches who lived in the gingerbread houses, a fact I pointed out to him later, but I gave him props for the effort.  We’ve been “Cay and May” ever since, but the whole dating thing still feels… awkward.

“Is this all from school or is Jack bringing some of his dad’s?” I swipe an errant curl of hair out of my face and cringe at my surroundings as I reach for the big videocamera.  Why does it have to be so dark?  Why can’t people ghost hunt in the daylight?  You can still supposed get sound bites and whatever in the daytime, right?  It’s not like ghosts go anywhere or sleep or, you know, whatever.

         “Well, the big stuff is the professional gear with night vision from school.  And then we have my stuff.”  Cay stops in front of a wide tomb, laying his multiple cameras and his mini video recorder along the top like they are the most precious things in the world. “Weird that Mr. Dowd put both you and Jack on my team.”

          “Yeah, weird.”  And a nightmare. If it wasn’t for Jack, I’d be ranked first in our year, and, unlike Jack, if I don’t earn a ton of scholarship money for college, then I can’t go.

Cay fumbles with the equipment, his breath rising in great grey puffs of frost, lingering in his dark bob of curls.  I shiver.

A BMW pulls up in front of the entry gate, looking sleek and new and out of place.

I run an unsteady hand through my untamable hair…right…Jack.

He gets out of the car and strides towards us, stepping out into the camera’s lights: short blond hair, high cheekbones, and a long neck leading to strong shoulders.  Everyone at school, except for me, that is, adores him because he’s rich, intelligent and supposedly lost his virginity to a Victoria’s Secret model.

Watching the god-like way he strides across the cemetery, you can almost believe the hype.  He lifts his eyes to meet mine as he nods a greeting.  My heart flips.

Of course, it would be easier to dislike him if he wasn’t so damn… hot.  I shake my head.  I hate that about him, too.

“You’re late.”  I grab the sound gear from Cay and hand it to him, eyeing the orange-clad harpy of a girl trailing after him.

“I had to pick up Alicia.”  He indicates the thing as he straps on the professional sound gear.  “And respond to your post on the AP History board about gun control.”

I huff.  “You think we should arm everyone with a credit card?”

“What I think is irrelevant, Mason.”  Jack’s the only one in the universe who calls me by my full name. “It’s what the Founding Fathers wanted that matters.”  He holds out his hand to help me navigate my way over a broken tomb.  I ignore it.  He smirks, “Or do you not support the Bill Of Rights?”

God, please keep me from throttling him tonight.  Cay clears his throat.

         “WTF, losers?  A graveyard?” Alicia Impestio. Wearing her designer hoodie unzipped so that she reveals way more skin than she has to, her straight brown hair is bleached at the tips and held off of her over-tanned face by some rhinestone-studded catastrophe.  I grit my teeth.

         “Hey Alicia, glad you could make it.”  Cay holds the minicam out towards her and helps her onto the cobbled path of the graveyard.

         “Whatever.”  Alicia grabs the mini and swats at Cay’s hand as she struggles to gain a foothold.  A challenging endeavor, I’m sure, for someone wearing flip-flops in November.

         She gives me the once-over, lips curling.

“You really wore that?”  She asks, mouth open with disdain.

“Alicia…”  Jack’s voice is low, menacing.

“I mean” –she gives me the once-over and sneers- “Aren’t the Kardashians some of you people?  They at least know how to dress.  But, then again, they also know who their daddy is.”

         That’s Alicia: hitting where it hurts. I blink through the stinging at my eyes as my mind races to find something snarky to say…something to…

         “Alicia,” Jack snaps. “Stop.”

“Fine, but tell Clay Aiken over there to hurry it.  I’m cold.”

         Jack makes a motion with his head to indicate that Cay should ignore her as he adjusts the weight of the portable boom on his back.

“Okay, I’m filming.”  I say and catch the low-hanging harvest moon before panning down to Cay.  “In three, two, one…”

“This is Cayden Robison of Chase Hills High Broadcasting reporting on site at Hillside Cemetery. In 1734, three witches were reportedly hung just up the road, on the town green and buried, here, in this cemetery, in unmarked graves.”

“Then, in 1864, three men were arrested for grave digging, and ever since, people have reported strange things not only here, but especially out behind the burial grounds, in the woods.” Cay runs his hand along the top of a worn tombstone.

“Reports of paranormal activity really began to pick up in the past thirty years.”  He pauses, and I pan the camera over to the creepy oak and the broken bench beneath it, hands a little unsteady.  “Some people claim to hear voices, others see full-body apparitions, but most convincingly, in the 1980s, some kids back here partying say that they found satanists performing rituals in the woods.  They watched as the group made a make-shift temple of one of the half-buried barite mines in the woods, and claim that the men actually raised a demon.”

He stops, looking intently into the lens of my camera. I flex my fingers, my breath rushed, like I’ve been running.

“Tonight, we’re going to dig for the truth and see if Hillside Cemetery is actually haunted.”  Cays smiles.

         Deep breath, May.  It’s just a story.  Fairytales. There’s no such thing as demons, or ghosts.

GIVEAWAY

Madeline Wynn is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
  • This giveaway begins November 3 and ends January 31.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, February 2.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tours: Guest Post Married One Night

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I’m hosting a guest post for the book tour for “Married One Night”. Enjoy the guest post!

Fiction vs. Reality

by

Amber Leigh Williams

Do you ever wonder how much of what an author writes is informed by his/her real lives? It’s the age-old quest to figure out how much reality informs fiction. After Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published, J.K. Rowling revealed that the book’s dementors were inspired by her struggles with depression. Even in the fantastical world of magic, it seems that the influence of reality isn’t far behind.

I write contemporary romance novels for Harlequin Superromance so it’s easy for me to draw comparisons between what winds up on the page and what I’ve experienced in real life. It’s important to note that none of my characters are based on real-life people. They’re their own individuals; they all have minds and hearts of their own. That’s part of what I love most about writing: exploring and discovering the characters as well as figuring out how they complement and contrast one another. However, the three books I’ve written for the Superromance series take place in a real place, Fairhope, Alabama. I know Fairhope pretty well – I grew up there! The books were inspired largely by my feelings for Fairhope, which to me means peace and tranquility and, most of all, HOME. If my characters don’t think of Fairhope as the place their heart lies in the beginning of the book, they’re sure to by the end. RT Book Reviews gave MARRIED ONE NIGHT 4-½ stars. The review makes note of Fairhope as a charming setting and one of the best elements of the book. Recreating Fairhope on the page was a bit intimidating. I can only hope I’ve done the place justice. It means so much to me and many other people who have lived and visited the Eastern Shore where it rests….

A lot of the time, I don’t even notice when I place personal touches in my stories. Recently while my mother was reading my latest Superromance novel, MARRIED ONE NIGHT, she pointed out several that I previously hadn’t known about, simple things like a scene in which the heroine and her friend are having a morning drink on the terrace overlooking the bay. They’re discussing the hero many attributes. It’s one of my favorite scenes of the book. The thing my mother loved most about the scene was the fact that the heroine and her friend were drinking bloody mary’s, something my mother and sister often did when they lived on the bay in Fairhope. I didn’t notice the significance of this personal tidbit until she pointed it out to me. Also the heroine, Olivia, runs every morning along the Eastern Shore. The route she takes to the Fairhope pier and back to her family’s tavern is the same one my mother and sister often walked or ran on weekends when they lived there. My husband and I would often ride our bicycles alongside them when we visited….

The hero of MARRIED ONE NIGHT, Gerald, is a sexy British novelist. He was a pleasure to write, largely because he was inspired in part by charming and handsome English actor, Tom Hiddleston. I loved writing Gerald’s character so much that when it came time for him to share parts of his heritage with the heroine, Olivia, I felt compelled to delve a bit into my own ancestry and lend him a few of my own family footnotes. For example, Gerald’s family ties show some deeply aristocratic lineage (interestingly enough, he’s a twenty-first century renegade earl), though not royal…unless you count a distant Scottish ancestor who claimed to be the son of the Duke of Berwick who was the illegitimate son of King James II. Not only was the Duke of Berwick a real person; if you look back far enough into my father’s family tree, you’ll find him! In addition, Gerald reveals at one point that he is 1/4th Scottish. His mother’s maiden name is MacLeod and he spent part of his childhood on the Isle of Skye. My mother’s family is descended from the mighty MacLeod clan and their stronghold on the Isle of Skye, a castle called DunVegan that is still in use by the MacLeod laird and his family today. In one of my favorite scenes in the book, Gerald shows up to a formal event wearing a kilt – the MacLeod tartan. Because I include all these personal details in the story, the book is dedicated to the various branches of my family tree and I give a shout-out to those MacLeod cousins with the clan motto: “Hold fast!”

These personal touches are just a few reasons why I loved writing MARRIED ONE NIGHT and why I hope you’ll love it just as much! Happy reading and, on behalf of my Scottish bloodline, “Hold fast!”

About the Author

Amber Leigh WilliamsAmber Leigh Williams lives on the Gulf Coast. A southern girl at heart, she loves beach days, the smell of real books, relaxing at her family’s lakehouse, and spending time with her husband, Jacob, and their sweet, blue-eyed boy. When she’s not running after her young son and three, large dogs, she can usually be found reading a good romance or cooking up a new dish in her kitchen. She is represented by Joyce Holland of the D4EO Literary Agency.

Her latest book is the contemporary romance, Married One Night.

For More Information

About the Book

Married One Night 2What happened in Vegas…followed her home! 

Olivia Lewis is not the marrying type. So when a wild weekend in Vegas leaves her with a surprise husband, she’s happy to sign anything to erase her mistake—even if that mistake is handsome, charming and comes with an English accent. Fortunately, her groom has other plans.

Bestselling author Gerald Leighton knows he can make his new bride fall in love with him—he just needs time. In exchange for a quickie divorce, Olivia grudgingly gives him a few weeks to attempt to woo her. And whether Olivia likes it or not, Gerald plans on using every second to win her heart!

For More Information

Book Tours: Guest Post Night Terror

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I’m hosting a guest post today for the book tour for “Night Terror” by Jeff Gunhus. I hope you enjoy the guest post!

Why I read paperback books…and I think you should too

As a hybrid author with both traditional and self-published works, I have greatly benefitted from the rise of e-books. It’s hard to think back to the world before Kindle and Nooks and IPads. Back when you had to go at an actual bookstore (remember those?) and browse the aisles, judging books by their cover, cracking open a book every now and then to hear the voice of a new author. Most of the time, this toe dipping would last only a few minutes. Occasionally, you would look up and realize a half hour had passed by, somehow you had ended up sitting on the carpeted floor and were fifty pages into the book. And that’s the book you’d buy.

 I know you can get a similar experience online, maybe even a better experience. Cool algorithms check in our your past buying habits to offer you up more of the same books you’ve enjoyed in the past. This can help discoverability every bit as much as browsing the aisles at a large bookstore. You can even toe dip using the “look inside” feature. Even buying a book is more simple. Just hover over a button, hit the buy now icon and the book appears in the device of your choice. Where, if you’re anything like me, it has a good chance of staying indefinitely, totally forgotten.

My reading list is long and grows every time I bounce around Amazon for more than a few minutes. But it’s the paperback novel I purchased that sits on my desk, staring at me, challenging me, that I tend to actually read. More importantly, when I carry a book around with me, my kids see it and they know what I’m reading. When they see me on a device, they might think I’m checking emails, playing Words With Friends, etc. Seeing me with a book in my hand sends the message that reading is fun…and that maybe they should grab a paperback and try it too.

About the Author

Jeff GunhusJeff Gunhus is the author of both adult thrillers and the Middle Grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His book Reaching Your Reluctant Reader has helped hundreds of parents create avid readers. As a father of five, he and his wife lead an active lifestyle simply trying to keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.

His latest book is the thriller/horror novel, Night Terror.

For More Information

About the Book

Night Terror 2Ten years after her abduction and near-sacrifice to the Source, Sarah Tremont struggles to be a normal teenager. As much as she’s tried to suppress the power inside of her, it’s grown dangerously strong and has drawn the attention of those who want to possess her power for themselves.

The nightmare that she thought was long over starts again as powerful forces descend upon Prescott City to seek her out. With her parents and Joseph Lonetree’s help, Sarah must stand up to an evil much more powerful than the one she faced in the caves a decade earlier. But in the end, she discovers the greatest danger might come from the power living inside of her.

For More Information

  • Night Terror is available at Amazon.

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual

Book Tours: Book Spotlight Deadly Dozen

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About the Book

 

Deadly Dozen 2Title: Deadly Dozen: 12 Mystery/Thriller Novels by Bestselling Imajin Books Authors
Authors: Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Catherine Astolfo, Alison Bruce, Melodie Campbell/Cynthia St-Pierre, Gloria Ferris, Donna Galanti, Kat Flannery, Jesse Giles Christiansen, Rosemary McCracken, Susan J. McLeod, C. S. Lakin and Linda Merlino
Publisher: Imajin Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Format: Kindle

The DEADLY DOZEN Book Bundle contains 12 complete mystery/thriller novels by award-winning and international bestselling authors: Cheryl Kaye Tardif, Catherine Astolfo, Alison Bruce, Melodie Campbell/Cynthia St-Pierre, Gloria Ferris, Donna Galanti, Kat Flannery, Jesse Giles Christiansen, Rosemary McCracken, Susan J. McLeod, C. S. Lakin and Linda Merlino.

THE BRIDGEMAN by Catherine Astolfo

DEADLY LEGACY by Alison Bruce

A PURSE TO DIE FOR by Melodie Campbell & Cynthia St-Pierre

CHEAT THE HANGMAN by Gloria Ferris

A HUMAN ELEMENT by Donna Galanti

LAKOTA HONOR by Kat Flannery

PELICAN BAY by Jesse Giles Christiansen

SAFE HARBOR by Rosemary McCracken

SOUL AND SHADOW by Susan J. McLeod

INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES by C. S. Lakin

ROOM OF TEARS by Linda Merlino

DIVINE INTERVENTION by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

With an individual list price total of more than $45.00 and over 640 reviews collectively on Amazon.com, the DEADLY DOZEN Book Bundle is a value-packed, rollercoaster thrill ride that takes you from amateur sleuth to detective to paranormal to ancient mysteries set in intriguing worlds and so much more.

For More Information

  • Deadly Dozen is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

 

Meet the Authors

Catherine AstolfoCatherine Astolfo retired in 2002 after a very successful 34 years in education. Catherine received the Elementary Dufferin-Peel OECTA Award for Outstanding Service in 1998. She was also awarded Dufferin-Peel Catholic Elementary Principal of the Year in 2002 by the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario.

Catherine is a past President of Crime Writers of Canada and a Derrick Murdoch Award winner (2012). She was a Zonta Club 2012 Nominee for Women of Achievement.

Writing is Catherine’s passion. She can recall inventing fantasy stories for her classmates in Grade Three. Her short stories and poems have been published in a number of literary Canadian presses. In 2005, she won a Brampton Arts Award. Her short stories won the Bloody Words Short Story Award (second and first) in 2009 and 2010. She won the prestigious Arthur Ellis Best Short Crime Story Award in 2012.

Catherine’s novel series, The Emily Taylor Mysteries, are published by Imajin Books and are optioned for film by Sisbro & Co. Inc.

Visit Catherine at:

www.catherineastolfo.com

***

Alison BruceAlison Bruce has an honours degree in history and philosophy, which has nothing to do with any regular job she’s held since. A liberal arts education did prepare her to be a writer, however. She penned her first novel during lectures while pretending to take notes.

Alison writes mysteries, romance, westerns and fantasy. Her novels include Under a Texas Star, a western romantic suspense, and Deadly Legacy, a suspense thriller. Her protagonists are marked by their strength of character, the ability to adapt (sooner or later) to new situations and to learn from adversity.

Copywriter and editor since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press publisher and web designer in the past. She currently manages publications for Crime Writers Canada and is a volunteer with Action Read Family Literacy Center. A single mother, she lives in Guelph, Ontario with her two children, Kate and Sam.

www.alisonbruce.ca

www.alisonebruce.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/alisonebruce

***

Melodie CampbellBilled as Canada’s “Queen of Comedy” by the Toronto Sun (Jan. 5, 2014), Melodie Campbell achieved a personal best when Library Digest compared her to Janet Evanovich.

Melodie got her start writing comedy. In 1999, she opened the Canadian Humor Conference. She has over 200 publications, including 100 comedy credits, 40 short stories and 6 novels. She has won 9 awards for fiction, including the 2014 Derringer Award.

In addition to writing, Melodie has been a bank manager, hospital director, college instructor, association executive, and possibly the worst runway model ever. She lives in Oakville Ontario, where she is lamentably addicted to fast cars.

Melodie is the Executive Director of Crime Writers of Canada.

www.melodiecampbell.com

Cynthia St-PierreMelodie’s co-writer, Cynthia St-Pierre wrote promotional, packaging and communications materials; penned articles for business periodicals; and a chapter of How to Successfully Do Business in Canada. Currently a member of Crime Writers of Canada, she has one award for fiction and has been a writing contest judge. Best of all for a mystery writer, Cynthia has received a York Regional Police Citizens Awareness Program certificate, presented and signed by Julian Fantino, former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

In addition, Cynthia grows vegetables in her backyard, makes recipes with tofu, and speaks English-accented French with husband Yves. Visit Cynthia’s blog (in the voice of character Becki Green) at www.vegetariandetective.blogspot.com

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Gloria FerrisGloria Ferris began her writing career by authoring and editing operating procedures for a nuclear power development. It was an exciting job, but opportunities for plot and character development were limited, so she turned to crime fiction and found it to be a lot more fun. Cheat the Hangman was shortlisted for the 2009 Crime Writers of Canada Unhanged Arthur contest.

Gloria recently moved back to her native Guelph, Ontario, after spending 20 plus years in several small towns by Lake Huron, which inspired her mysteries. The stories are written in a humorous style, but the crimes are deadly serious. A sequel to Cheat the Hangman is in the works.

http://www.gloriaferrismysteries.blogspot.com

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Donna GalantiDonna Galanti writes murder and mystery with a dash of steam as well as middle grade adventure fiction. She is an International Thriller Writers Debut Author of the paranormal suspense novel A Human Element, the short story collection The Dark Inside, and Joshua and The Lightning Road.

She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna dreamed of being a writer when she fell in love with the worlds of Narnia and Roald Dahl while attending school in a magical English castle where her dark imagination ran wild in an itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included).

She now lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse. It has lots of writing nooks, fireplaces, and stink bugs, but she’s still wishing for a castle again—preferably with ghosts.

Website: http://www.elementtrilogy.com

Blog: http://www.elementtrilogy.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DonnaGalanti

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

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Kat FlanneryKat Flannery has loved writing ever since she was a girl. She is often seen jotting her ideas down in a little black book. When not writing or researching, Kat enjoys snuggling on her couch with a hot chocolate and a great book.

Her first novel, CHASING CLOVERS became an Amazon’s bestseller in Historical and Western romance. LAKOTA HONOR, Kat’s second book and book 1 in the Branded Trilogy became an instant success in Paranormal Historical Mystery/Romance. This was followed by book 2, BLOOD CURSE, which will be released October 1, 2014. Kat is now working on the final book in the trilogy.

When not focusing on her creative passions, Kat is busy with her three boys and doting husband.

www.katscratch.blogspot.com

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Jesse Giles ChristiansenJesse Giles Christiansen is an American author who writes compelling literary fiction that weaves the real with the surreal. He attended Florida State University where he began writing short stories and exposing himself to the great literary classics, his greatest influences at the time consisting of London, Hemingway, and Wilde. He received his B.A. in English literature in 1993.

He wrote his first novel, About: Journey into the Mystic, after spending a summer in Alaska working on fishing boats. His second novel, Pelican Bay, part of a trilogy, focuses on a mysterious old fisherman and the unforgettable lessons he imparts on an eccentric, nosy, sea-battered beach town. The second book in The Captain Shelby Trilogy, Captain Shelby, was recently released and explores the old fisherman’s past.

Web Site: www.jessegileschristiansen.com

Blog: www.jgchristiansen.wordpress.com

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABorn and raised in Montreal, Rosemary McCracken has worked on newspapers across Canada as a reporter, arts writer and reviewer, editorial writer and editor. She is now a freelance journalist, specializing in personal finance and the financial services industry. She advocates greater protection for investors.

Rosemary’s short fiction has been published by Room of One’s Own Press, Kaleidoscope Books and Sisters in Crime Canada. Safe Harbor, her first suspense thriller, was shortlisted for Britain’s Debut Dagger award in 2010, and released by Imajin Books in 2012. Black Water is the second book in the Pat Tierney series.

Rosemary lives with her husband in Toronto, and does much of her fiction writing at her stone cottage in Ontario’s Haliburton Highlands.

http://www.rosemarymccracken.com

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Susan Jane McLeodSusan Jane McLeod has been writing since she was seven years old. At age eleven, she won a countywide essay contest, and her professional career was launched. By the time she was nineteen, her poetry had appeared in several magazines, including American Girl and Seventeen.

She also won an honorable mention in The Writer.

Susan grew up in Rochester, New York, with her three sisters and one brother. In her early thirties, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given a 50/50 chance to live. She survived only to have the cancer recur, necessitating more surgery and an aggressive course of chemotherapy. Today she is cancer free.

The best job she’s ever had was managing a bookstore, surrounded by her passion: literature.

Susan has published several short stories and two novels. The first, Soul and Shadow, is an award-winning paranormal historical romance. The second, Fire and Shadow, is classified as paranormal suspense. Both have garnered impressive reviews.

Susan believes strongly in several causes and has raised money for the American Cancer Society, Foodlink, and the House of Mercy homeless shelter.

She still resides in Rochester and will always call it home.

She can be contacted at  www.susanjmcleod.com and

www.facebook.com/SusanJMcLeodAuthor

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C. S. LakinC. S. Lakin writes novels in numerous genres, focusing mostly on contemporary psychological mysteries and allegorical fantasy. Her novel Someone to Blame (contemporary fiction) won the 2009 Zondervan First Novel competition 2009 (published October 2010). Lakin’s Gates of Heaven fantasy series for adults (AMG-Living Ink Publishers) features original full-length fairy tales in traditional style. Already in print are the first books in the series, The Wolf of Tebron. The Map across Time, The Land of Darkness, and The Unraveling of Wentwater, with two more to follow.

In addition to her mysteries and fantasy series, she has written the first book in a young adult sci-fi adventure series: Time Sniffers. Her contemporary mystery Innocent Little Crimes made the top one hundred finalists in the 2009 Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest, earning her a Publisher’s Weekly review, which stated her book was “a page-turning thrill-ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through.”

She recently completed Intended for Harm, an epic family sage that is a contemporary take-off on the biblical story of Jacob and Joseph and is developing a swashbuckling dog memoir in the style of Moby Dick entitled A Dog after God’s Own Heart. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA, with her husband Lee, a gigantic lab named Coaltrane, and three persnickety cats. You can connect with her on twitter: @cslakin and @livewritethrive. Or visit her author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/C.S.Lakin.Author.

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Linda MerlinoLinda Merlino is the author of Hudson Catalina and Room of Tears. She began writing fiction as a young mother on the sidelines of endless soccer practices. Linda wrote anytime any place. A manuscript filled a carton in the back seat of her car. Many years have passed since those early beginnings, but her work continues to be inspired by her children.

The author has a fascination with heroes and writes her fiction to honor ordinary men and women who react unselfishly in extraordinary circumstances. She extends her gratitude to all who keep us safe and free.

Her hometown is outside of Boston. She lived for many years in New York City and more recently calls Connecticut her home.

www.lindamerlino.com

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Cheryl Kaye TardifCheryl Kaye Tardif is an award-winning, international bestselling Canadian suspense author. Her novels include Divine Sanctuary, Submerged, Divine Justice, Children of the Fog, The River, Divine Intervention, and Whale Song, which New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice calls “a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart…a beautiful, haunting novel.”

She is now working on her next thriller.

Cheryl also enjoys writing short stories inspired mainly by her author idol Stephen King, and this has resulted in Dream House (short story), Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories (collection of shorts) and Remote Control (novelette eBook). In 2010 Cheryl detoured into the romance genre with her contemporary romantic suspense debut, Lancelot’s Lady, written under the pen name of Cherish D’Angelo. And she even has a children’s picture book published, The Elfling Princess.

Booklist raves, “Tardif, already a big hit in Canada…a name to reckon with south of the border.”

Cheryl’s website: www.cherylktardif.com

Official blog: www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cherylktardif

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylkayetardif

You can also find Cheryl Kaye Tardif on Goodreads, Shelfari and LibraryThing, plus other social networks.

Book Tours: Guest Post for A Wedding and A Killing

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I’m hosting a guest post today for mystery author Lauren Carr. She writes about tips for mystery authors, so whether you’re an author or a reader, you should check this out!

Practical Tips for Beginning Mystery Writers

By Lauren Carr

Everyone wants to be Jessica Fletcher. Do you remember Jessica Fletcher? Oh, that’s right. She was in the 80’s. I guess I’ve dated myself. Okay! I admit it! I’m THAT old. Do you want to make something of it?

All right. My mood is swinging back into the other direction. … Where was I? Oh, yes, you want to be a mystery writer.

Number One: Research. Research in mystery writing is very important. However, I strongly advise against hands-on research. No matter how good you may be, if you kill your ex-husband, they are going to catch you and you will go to jail. Then you will be spending so much time fighting off a muscle-bound, tattooed roommate calling you “Cupcake” that you won’t have time to write your book.

It is best to do your research online. Google is a good starting source. There is an unbelievable wealth of sources on the Internet now, geared specifically toward writers for research in law enforcement and forensics. I know one author who found a video on YouTube on how to build a bomb.

Number Two: Once you’ve done your research into murder, you now need to come up with a story line.  The best place to start is to come up with a protagonist. Another word is hero. Some writers base their detectives on themselves. Others base them on their fantasy hero. At this point, ask yourself: Who do you want to save the day? You or some dashing, sexy, man with piercing eyes and a big gun? …

(Hold that thought while I go get a glass of cold water.)

Number Three: Your victim. You can’t have a murder mystery without someone getting killed. You may already have a murder victim. Many murder mystery writers have victims in mind before they have even thought of writing a book. If they are honest, many mystery writers were driven to write murder mysteries because of their victims.

This is the one case where it is okay to ask: Who do you want to kill? Bosses are a favorite. Once at a book event, a reader told me that she had two ex-husbands that she wanted me to kill between the pages for her.

Number Four:  How are you going to kill your victim? If you are basing your victim on someone in particular, you may already have a murder method in mind. Or you may have so many ideas that you don’t know which one to choose from. It is all a matter of preference. Do you want your murder victim to go out with a whimper or a bang? Is he or she worthy of going out in a blaze of glory? If not, maybe you want a particularly tortuous death, like being dined on by a komodo dragon. Or, you could have him die “off-stage”. In this case, you don’t need to write it out. You could simply have the reader hear about it later.

Number Five: The solving of the case. This is where many mystery writers get tripped up. They have so much fun with steps one through four that they’ve forgotten that someone has to solve their victim’s murder. Maybe because subconsciously, they don’t want their victim’s murder solved. That is something for the writer to take to Dr. Phil to sort out.

As much fun as it was killing their boss or ex-husband or nasty neighbor or lawyer who rolled over and played dead in divorce court or—How about that teacher in high school who gave me a “B” on the essay when I bloody well deserved an “A” and because of that I didn’t get into the Harvard and my life was ruined and now I’m cleaning gutters for a living—

Excuse me. Back on track.

Your mystery does need to get solved. After the murder, you need to lead the reader on the path through the detection, solving of the crime, and the capture of the killer.

That’s right. In the end, the killer is captured by the detective.

That’s why in the beginning I warned you not to practice this in real life at home.

Unless you want to evade capture when they find out by getting cosmetic surgery, dressing up like a member of the opposite sex, joining a rock band and then spending the rest of your life on the lam—which is another blog post.

Happy Mystery Writing!

 About The Author

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

For More Information

  • Visit Lauren Carr’s website.
  • Connect with Holly on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Visit Lauren’s blog.
  • Is your group looking for a speaker for your next event?  Click here.
  • Contact Lauren.

About the Book 

When Mac Faraday decides to do something, there’s no stopping him … even murder!

Not wanting to wait until their big day to start their life of wedded bliss, Mac Faraday and his lady love, Archie Monday, decide to elope to the little church where his ancestors had all married—along the tranquil shore of Deep Creek Lake. However, before they can say, “I do,” the sanctuary erupts into chaos when Gnarly finds a dead body in the church office.

As they dive into the investigation, Mac and his team discover more questions than answers. What kind of person walks into a church and shoots a man for no apparent reason? How do you solve the murder of a man who has no enemies in the world? Which of the seemingly kind-hearted church members is really a cold-blooded killer?

Then, there is the all-important question, how long do Mac Faraday and his lady love have to wait to get married?

For More Information

  • A Wedding and a Killing is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads. 

Book Tours: Guest Post for To The Breaking Pointe Tour

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I’m hosting a guest post for the book tour for ‘To The Breaking Pointe”. Enjoy the guest post.

TEN QUICKIES FOR WRITING LOVE SCENES

Hey writing is a tough business! Whether you write mysteries, suspense, romance, or thrillers it is hard to stand out in the crowd, and you definitely want to stand out in the right way.

I’ve talked to so many writers who tell me that they struggle with or perhaps even shy away from love scenes. Truth is many writers avoid it at all costs because they feel awkward or lack the confidence to write so intimately.  So with the timid writer in mind, I’ve compiled a list of ten quick suggestions to help you throw your inhibitions aside and write a good love scene.

1.      Define your comfort zone: What are you comfortable reading/writing?

Not everyone (authors or readers) are comfortable with such strong scenes as those that E L James penned for Christian Grey’s “playroom”. Perhaps you are more at ease writing suggestive scenes: your characters touch, feel, explore, but you will only take the reader to the bedroom—not between the sheets, and that’s okay. When I began writing the Unbridled Series in 2005 suggestive scenes was where my comfort zone lived—I have since tossed some of my inhibitions aside to go farther with the First Force series, yet I’m still not as bold as some romance writers.

If you struggle with the idea of writing intimate scenes then you should take care to start slowly and build up. If you start out writing beyond your comfort level your scenes will reflect your unease, so its best not to force a scene that you are simply not prepared to illustrate.

2.      Write for yourself, not your family, friends, or your pastor.

As I’ve said in past blogs, I have very conservative in-laws—they are simply uncomfortable with the subject matter of my books in general. That said I write love scenes that are explicit and yet tasteful. Some writers are concerned that their minister or church members will frown upon sexual scenes in their books. Hmmmm, then why are they reading your books? I’ve noticed that if I don’t bring up my books at church neither does anyone else—although I do have fellow parishioners who will approach me to tell me how much they enjoy my books—they never mention the love scenes—for whatever reason. ;}

3.      Make sure the cover of your book matches the story inside.

The cover is so important to the marketing of your book. If your storyline is really smokin’ hot, then definitely put that erotic half-dressed couple immersed in a sensual kiss on your cover. If your storyline is more on the suggestive side—find something a little less provocative for your cover. You don’t want to promise something that you don’t deliver because then you could possibly upset two groups of readers: those who are expecting and looking forward to more than you are giving, or readers who are not comfortable at all with sexual scenes. The wrong cover can ultimately turn both sets of readers away from your books permanently. So make sure your cover sends the right message.

4.      Heat it up! Sexual tension adds sooo much to the storyline.

Build the sexual tension between your characters from the very first moment they meet. The hero is bound and determined to win her heart, but the heroine isn’t exactly ready to give it—make him work to win her over and for that first kiss to be scorching hot. Sexual tension isn’t exclusive to those who write love scenes. You can use sexual tension even in the most innocent of books where an author doesn’t go any farther than that kiss.

5.  Develop your characters well before tossing them into bed.

Your audience will find the story more believable and sensual if you have taken the time and effort to develop your characters before that hot love scene. Readers want to know that the love scene is right—that the hero and heroine are meant to be. Tossing them into bed before developing their relationship and personalities will leave the reader feeling cheated, and your carefully penned love scene could fall flat.

5.      One POV please!

Only reveal one character’s POV during the love scene. Alternating thoughts, feelings, or sensual sensations from one character to the other during a love scene can confuse or frustrate the reader. Allow your reader to experience the sensual encounter through one character’s POV only.

6.      Use subtext.

What’s subtext? Subtext is when a character says something without coming right out and saying it. Example: He leaned across the table, his hot gaze burning into hers. “You know I just love caramels.” He whispered, “I can’t help myself, I always end up eating the whole bag.”

7.      Whoa! Watch those descriptions!

Most recently I began to read a book that actually started out with what the author considered a “hot” love scene. I put the book aside by page sixteen and haven’t picked it up since. Why? Because the author was using car parts to describe body parts. Can you guess what the gearshift was? Yep. Please, keep your automotive paraphernalia where it belongs—in the garage.

I had one author tell me that he liked to refer to the woman’s most intimate area as a… wait for it… “honey hole”. E-gads!! One must be careful as to how to describe intimate body parts or it completely destroys the experience for the reader.

8.      Use the senses.

Absolutely! Touch, taste, and smell—candles burning, the shadows dancing about the room, the smell of his skin, the gentle caresses over smooth silky flesh, and the taste of the wine still lingering on their lips. These descriptions (if done correctly and compassionately) will deepen the readers experience by drawing them into the moment.

9.      Make sure it fits!

The scene I mean. Don’t write a love/sex scene just to do it—make sure the scene moves the story forward. The characters should share something during the scene: a deeper sense of their relationship, a secret can be revealed, or information that you have not shared with the reader can come forth during or as a result of the scene, but make the scene count. Love/sex scenes that are thrown into the story for no apparent reason are annoying, and yes your readers will notice!

So there you have it…some simple ideas to help you write a love scene. Here’s one more: read love scenes. The more you read love scenes the more you will learn how to write them—it’s really that simple. What did you like about the love scene that you just read? What didn’t you like? Learn from those who do it well.

About the Author

Cindy McDonaldFor twenty-six years Cindy’s life whirled around a song and a dance: she was a professional dancer/choreographer for most of her adult life and never gave much thought to a writing career until 2005. She often notes: Don’t ask me what happened, but suddenly I felt drawn to my computer to write about things I have experienced (greatly exaggerated upon of course—I’ve never been murdered!) with my husband’s Thoroughbreds and happenings at the racetrack. Viola! Cindy’s first book series, Unbridled, was born—there are four books to that series so far.

Cindy is a huge fan of romantic suspense series, and although she isn’t one to make New Year’s resolutions, on New Year’s Day 2013 she made a commitment to write one, Into the Crossfire is the first book for her new series, First Force.

People are always asking Cindy: do you miss dance? With a bitter sweet smile on her lips she tells them: Sometimes I do. I miss my students. I miss choreographing musicals, but I love my books, and I love sharing them with you.

Her latest book is the romantic suspense, To the Breaking Pointe.

For More Information

 

About the Book

To the Breaking Pointe 2Pushed to the breaking pointe!

Five years ago First Force operative, Grant Ketchum, let the ballerina of his dreams dance right of his life. Silja Ramsay returned to her birthplace, Russia, to take the position of principal dancer for the Novikov Ballet Company.

The owner and director of the ballet company, Natalia Novikov, has a dark secret: her beloved ballet company is almost broke. Natalia forces her dancers to prostitute themselves to financial contributors at exclusive after-show parties. Silja has been exempt and kept in the dark about the parties—until an American financier offers to bail the failing ballet company out. His prerequisite: Silja must become his personal companion, live in his home, and fulfill his every desire. Against her will, Silja is taken to the American’s mansion, but before she goes she manages to send a text to the only man who can save her, Grant: HELP!

Now Grant is on a mission to find his lost ballerina and rescue her from this powerful man’s subjugation. He will do anything to get her out alive. If they survive, will he let her chasse out of his life again?

For More Information

  • To the Breaking Pointe is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Tours: Guest Post Finding Zoë Tour

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I’m hosting a guest post today for the book tour for “Finding Zoë”. Enjoy the guest post.

Choosing Open Adoption

I am the proud mother of three biological sons. After three pregnancies, I still had a deep desire for a daughter and the only way to guarantee that seemed to be to pursue adoption. My husband and I are both deaf and after we started the adoption process, we learned about a deaf baby girl named Zoe who was available for adoption. It was perfect.
As part of the adoption process, I had to fill out paperwork that identified the amount of contact I was willing to have with her birth parents. I agreed through this paperwork to provide them with updates and a photo every year on her birthday. That was to be the extent of our contact- and that was what was drawn up in our legal papers. Those updates would be made through the agency—and although I had her birth parents first names and medical history, I did not have their last names or know where they lived.
At first, it was never about whether the adoption would be open or closed. I did not give it much thought. I was more concerned with her birth mother reading my profile and selecting our family as the family to raise her daughter. I waited impatiently for word as to whether we had been selected. The agency finally called after a six-week wait and said the birth mother wanted to meet us. We quickly arranged that meeting. The day after we met, I was notified that we were chosen to adopt Zoe. I was overjoyed.
Slowly, through that process, Zoe’s birth mother became a real person and not just a name on paper. Her name was Jess. She was 17 years old, a senior in High School and while it really pained her to have to place Zoe for adoption, she believed it was the best thing for her daughter. She wanted to go to college and study social work. She had dreams for herself and bigger dreams for Zoe. She was also extremely worried about Zoe and her hearing loss. What would that mean for Zoe? Would Zoe be all right?
On placement day, we drove to the adoption agency where Jess was waiting with Zoe. It was a very powerful moment when she handed me our daughter. I was filled with such gratitude. I slipped her a note that read…
“…Thank you for selecting Tim and I to be her parents. Thank you for giving me the chance to be her mother. You will always be her mother, too—and when she is old enough to understand, I will tell her she is lucky because she has two.”
Six months later I made good on that letter and contacted the adoption agency and asked if Jess would like to see Zoe again—because if she wanted to, I would drive her back. Jess said yes. I did this—most of all—because I wanted Jess to see that despite Zoe being deaf, it was not going to define her. I wanted her to see a thriving child who was starting to communicate in sign language—so she would know in her heart of all hearts that Zoe was doing well. I wanted her to see that Zoe was in the right home.
At that meeting something happened to me inside. When Jess saw Zoe for the first time since she handed her to me at the adoption agency, she leaped towards her and scooped her up. It was an automatic reaction–biological if you will, of a mother leaping towards her child. I saw that leap as pure unconditional love–the kind of love I, as a mother, have for my children. Who was I to deny this girl–who had already experienced so much pain in order to give me such joy–the opportunity to know and love her child?
And, who was I to deny my daughter the opportunity to know who she was and where she came from? I was not going to deny Zoe the chance to know the people who loved her so greatly that they sacrificed a piece of themselves so she would have a better life. I decided right then and there that Zoe was going to know them.
And, they were going to know her.
I wrote my memoir, Finding Zoe, because I so believe in the lessons that I took from my journey of adopting Zoe. There are many life lessons you will find when reading the book. As in the case of choosing open adoption, what I learned very quickly is that there is enough love for all of us.
And, there is.



About the Author

Brandi RarusDeaf since age six after contracting spinal meningitis, Brandi Rarus could speak and read lips, but felt caught between the deaf and hearing world—fitting into neither. When she realized you don’t need to hear to live a fulfilled life, she became empowered and was chosen as Miss Deaf America. From signing the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game to speaking at corporate conferences, Brandi traveled the country speaking out for deaf children and building awareness of what it means to be Deaf.

She married Tim Rarus, an advocate for Deaf people whose work inspired the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Together, they have paved the way to bring new technologies that promote equal access in communication. Brandi and Tim live in Austin, Texas, with their four children: three hearing boys and the youngest, Zoe, a Deaf girl they adopted. Today, Brandi and her family are tirelessly dedicated to ensuring all children find their rightful place in our world.

Her latest book is the biography/autobiography/personal memoir, Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman’s Story of Identity, Love, and Adoption.

For More Information

 

About the Book

Finding Zoe 2In Finding Zoe, Brandi Rarus shares the story of her very personal path of self-discovery and the struggle of being caught between two worlds—the hearing and the Deaf. We travel with her through her mainstreamed younger years and later on to college at The National Technical Institute for the Deaf where she embraces Deaf culture and realizes that being Deaf is not a handicap, but a passport to a whole new and exciting world.

Brandi brings us behind the scenes as she takes on the world advocating for her Deaf Community as Miss Deaf America; meeting and falling in love with Tim, a Gallaudet University student leader who later helped write the landmark Americans with Disability Act on Capitol Hill. The two married and had three hearing boys—the first non-deaf children born in Tim’s family in 125 years, but with all their blessings something was still missing.

With a powerful foreword provided by Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actress and member of the National Association of the Deaf, Finding Zoe is an inspiring recollection of how two individuals who, already bonded by their diversity, come together as an unbreakable mother-daughter pair to navigate a silent world and shed light the adoption/foster care system.

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