Wired Rogue

Wired Rogue

by Toby Neal

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GENRE:  Mystery/Police Procedural

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BLURB:

‘Wired in’ to her computers, MMA-fighting tech agent Sophie Ang has been content in her clean, cool tech lab, where she chases criminals online, continuing a dance in the dark with the enigmatic vigilante known as the Ghost. Tumultuous changes from without and within eject her from her agency cocoon to the front lines, where she finds herself in partnership with a brilliant, overbearing, larger-than-life ex-Special Forces operative, Jake Dunn. They climb walls, dodge bullets, kidnap children and dig up bodies for a case that might cost her life—and has already taken her badge.

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EXCERPT:

Children shouldn’t be treated as slaves. Anger tightened Special Agent Sophie Ang's hands as she adjusted the binoculars a little more to focus in on ten kids of various ages, bent over in a water-filled patch of land planted in the deep green, heart-shaped leaves of the Hawaiian kalo. They wore bathing suits and palm frond hats as they worked in the hot sun, an adult supervising from the shade of a nearby palm tree.

Taro farming was back-breaking work, and it looked like the Society of Light cult was using their shortest members to work with the submerged tubers. Sophie’s partner in the operation, Ken Yamada, shifted restlessly beside her in their camouflage surveillance tent on a rise of ground across the river from the compound. “Ten is more children than we were told about.” he murmured.

“We have to locate the two targets,” Sophie said, for the benefit of their SAC, Waxman, monitoring through their comms. “Can’t identify the children positively yet.” The homemade hats hid the red blond hair the children’s mother had told the agents to look for. Sophie widened her scan, and took in the rest of the cult's property.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Social worker turned author Toby Neal grew up on the island of Kaua`i in Hawaii.

Neal is the author of more than twenty novels in the mystery, romance and young adult genres, including the twelve-book USA Today bestselling, award-winning Lei Crime Series. This police procedural mystery series centers on Leilani “Lei” Matsumoto Texeira, a multicultural detective with issues, her dog Keiki, and her love interest, Stevens, as they solve a range of complicated crimes in the Hawaiian Islands.

The Lei Crime Series has sold over a million books since its debut in December of 2011, and in 2015, Amazon launched the Lei Crime Kindle World, which allows authors to build licensed fan fiction upon Neal’s characters. There are close to fifty fan fiction spinoff works in the World currently.

Neal is a 2016 Independent Publisher Book (“IPPY”) winner for Best Mystery/Thriller for Rip Tides and in 2015 for Twisted Vine. She’s a Notable Indie 2016 Winner, 2015 National Indie Excellence® awards winner, Best Multicultural Novel winner for Torch Ginger, and many more.

Outside of counseling work and writing, Toby volunteers in a nonprofit for children and enjoys life in Hawaii through beach walking, swimming, gardening, photography and hiking.

Resources:

Website: http://tobyneal.net/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Toby-Neal/e/B006NR5PW2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1%20Lei%20Crime%20Kindle%20World:%20https://kindleworlds.amazon.com/world/LeiCrime

Twitter: @tobywneal

Facebook: Toby Neal Books

Instagram: Tobyneal0

Google+: Toby Neal

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tobyneal/

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

IBooks

KOBO

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Toby Neal will be awarding $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Beyond the Book: The Captain and the Cheerleader

Hello, and welcome to Beyond the Book. I've been sharing excerpts from The Captain and the Cheerleader. I'm picking up where I left off last week. Robin Lanford who's a royal pain in the butt just bet Susan English that she couldn't get a date with Kurt Deveraux, the head football coach. Some of the other faculty members also got in on the bet. Kurt showed up and Susan asked about the football game later that night. Kurt went to be with the football players before the game. He told his friend Jason that Susan had given him a compliment, and Jason reminded him that he already had a girl named Aleisha Childs. Kurt isn't sure if it's serious between them. He is about to lose his Friday night ball game when a boy interrupted him. The boy had a football play from Susan that won the game for him. Today Kurt is pondering that play.

Blurb:
Susan English can’t stand Robin Lanford! She’s so full of herself she irritates everyone on the faculty of Fairfield High. When Robin bets Susan fifty dollars that she can’t get a date with Kurt Deveraux, the head football coach, Susan jumps at the chance to put the little heifer in her place. She had no idea that teaching Robin a lesson would irrevocably change her life, strain treasured friendships, and throw two families into chaos.

Kurt yawned and turned over to look at the clock. Seven thirty. Dang that barking dog next door. He usually didn’t get up until eight thirty or so on Saturday. He squeezed his eyes shut, but he couldn’t go back to sleep because he’d started to think of Susan English.

How did a beautiful English teacher come up with such a simple but effective play? I spend a lot of time creating new plays and devising strategies, but this one strikes me as brilliant. I’ve never done anything to equal it. He chuckled. Hope she doesn’t want my job.

He was in the kitchen making some coffee when the phone rang. A quick glance at the caller ID told him it was Aleisha Childs. “Hi, Aleisha. Did you see the game last night?”

“No, I missed it. I’ve got strep throat so I guess the party’s out too. I’m sorry for the late notice.”
Kurt winced. “Oh, that hurts. Don’t worry about the party. We’ll go to the next one.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.” 


Kurt's been going out with Aleisha. Will he call Susan to ask about the play or not?

http://amzn.to/1NDgnrg

The Woven Ring

THE WOVEN RING

by M. D. Presley

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GENRE: Fantasy

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BLURB:

A fantasy reimagining of the American Civil War that pits muskets against magic, massive war machines against mind readers, and glass sabers against soldiers in psychic exoskeletons.

In exile since the civil war, former spy and turncoat Marta Childress wants to quietly live out her remaining days in the West. But then her manipulative brother arrives with one final mission: Transport the daughter of a hated inventor deep into the East. Forced to decide between safely delivering the girl and assassinating the inventor, Marta is torn between ensuring peace or sparking a second civil war.

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EXCERPT:

To her surprise Carmichael blinked uncomprehendingly at the name. It had been rattling around Marta’s head like a Breath in a bottle for the last three months, but to him it seemed meaningless. Then the corners of his mouth curled up, Carmichael finally remembering.

“This is about our older sister? I forgot about her entirely.”

His dismissal of her months of misery infuriated Marta all the more, the girl fighting harder against his grip. Her helplessness stoked her anger further, fanning it into blazing rage.

And with the rage came clarity, Marta suddenly aware of each Breath within her body. There were the usual three all humans were born with, one in the center of the chest to representing the Body, the second in the middle of the forehead for the Mind, and the third at the crown of the head signifying the Soul. But in that moment of clarity, Marta could feel a fourth Breath nestled deep in her chest next to the Body. Were she not so angry, she might have been surprised to find it, to feel it thrumming with its own frequency. It had a resonance, a musical identity all its own that only she could hear.

So she inhaled, filling that Breath with both her air and anger.

The fourth Breath stirred, summoned by Marta’s will and obeying on her exhale. Though its base remained firmly in her chest, she felt it elongate as it stretched through her throat and out towards her mouth. The appendage was entirely new to her, but it felt natural as she experienced each sensation through this fresh limb: the light scrape as it edged over her teeth, the sudden coolness of the air outside her body; the crunch of her brother’s bones as it collided with his nose.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Never passing up the opportunity to speak about himself in the third person, M.D. Presley is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is. Born and raised in Texas, he spent several years on the East Coast and now waits for the West Coast to shake him loose. His favorite words include defenestrate, callipygian, and Algonquin. The fact that monosyllabic is such a long word keeps him up at night.

His blogs and short stories can be found at his cleverly titled website: mdpresley.com

Or join him on Facebook at: facebook.com/solsharvest

And you can always pick up his book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IALGCDE?ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BouHxbKEZD2BZ&tag=kpembed-20&linkCode=kpe

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

The author is awarding a randomly drawn commenter a handcrafted silver ring. Use the link below to enter.

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Captured by Christmas

Captured by Christmas: A Christmas Anthology

Titles Included

Snowbound by Lynn Crandall

The Mistletoe Effect by Lainee Cole

Release Date: December 5, 2016

It’s Christmas, and the season of holly, Christmas trees, and goodwill is drifting on air in merry holiday wishes. Romantic suspense and paranormal author Lynn Crandall and contemporary author Lainee Cole present in their own way two stories of love in Captured by Christmas. However it finds you—under a Christmas tree or drifted in snow in a backwoods cabin—the spirit of the season will wrap you in love. In Snowbound, Lynn Crandall lets readers check in on favorite Fierce Hearts series were-lynx characters Kennedy Mitchell and Asher Monroe as they uncover the identity of the creature scaring the humans in Octavia, a small rural community in northern Michigan. Plans for an intimate getaway and family-style holiday are crumbling as the snow piles higher and Kennedy and Asher find themselves snowbound with a killer outside their door. In The Mistletoe Effect, Christmas is second-grade teacher Tess McCall’s least favorite holiday, but she’s doing her best not to let it show. Learning he’s a father to seven-year-old Holly makes Alex Randle anxious about the upcoming holidays. When Tess’s class starts reading to shelter dogs, Holly and the antics of shelter dog Mistletoe lead them all to rediscover the magic of Christmas.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snowbound: Kennedy glanced out the window and noticed the closer they came to Octavia, the deeper the December snow piled. “It is pretty here. There are so many tall pines and, dotted with snow, they feel Christmassy.”
“I think you’ll get the Christmas you want this year, complete with a rustic cabin in the woods and lots of snow.” Asher squinted as the early morning sun they’d left in Laurelwood drifted low in the mid-morning sky.
“I can’t wait to decorate the cabin. I hope the rest of the colony coming later remembers to bring all the decorations.” Images of a real, family Christmas had been dancing in her head for weeks. At twenty-four, she was more than due.
Asher glanced at her slyly. “But since they won’t arrive for a couple days, we’ll have that alone time I was talking about.”
Kennedy fisted him in his bicep. “Stop teasing.”
“Oww. That hurt.”
“Poor baby.” Kennedy blew him a kiss. “That will have to do until later.” She ran her fingers through his tousled blonde hair, enjoying the silky feel of it.
“We could stop at the cabin first, you know. We’re making good time.” Asher swept his finger playfully down her nose.
“Tempting, but no. I need to get to the rescue facility and set up.”
“Hang on!” Asher yelled.
At that moment, Kennedy saw what he saw ahead. A very large lynx, speeding out of the snowy forest on her left and into the road. “Holy shit! Don’t hit him!”
Asher slammed on the brakes and the car swayed in the snow-packed road.
“He’s staring at us.” Kennedy’s pulse raced at their near miss. The lynx’s eyes glistened, fastened on her. “Why did he stop in the road?” She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Asher worked to stop the car while swerving, but just as suddenly as it appeared, the huge lynx ran the few steps off the road and quickly disappeared into the forest on the opposing side.
Kennedy watched silently as Asher brought the car to a complete stop just short of a snowdrift along the side of the road. She blew out a long breath. “Geez, that was close.”
Asher reached over the console and hugged her. “Are you all right? That was harried for a minute.”
His arms around her were warm and assuring. It was the gesture that brought tears. She’d been raised to disconnect from emotions and taking care of herself was mandatory, something she’d done from a young age. She prided herself on her strength. But the coldness of the past would always be a part of her, and a caring touch now resonated through her at a deep level of appreciation. She’d stopped resisting tenderness, and her vigilance for the other shoe dropping had diminished, too.
“I’m fine. How are you?” she asked, pulling away. He was what she expected. Asher, unflustered but a seething. “I never saw that guy coming. I’m glad I didn’t hit him.”
“Have you ever seen such a large lynx before?” A visual of a very real, huge lynx hovered in her mind.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Yeah. Marcus Blue. Killer Marcus.” Kennedy shivered at the thought of the rogue were-lynx who’d been a menace to the colony and a killer. Casey and Michelle, Booker, Lara, Conrad, Asia, Quinn, and Tizzy—each one in the colony, including her and Asher, had suffered under Marcus’s malice.

The Mistletoe Effect: Alex snapped his fingers. That was it! Tess McCall could be the answer to all his problems! He approached her. “I have a huge favor to ask.” Tess watched him cautiously. “Okay…” “Holly wants to adopt Mistletoe.” She smiled, and he felt the brilliance warm his soul. “That’s great! They seem devoted to each other. Mistletoe goes straight to her every time they come to class.” “I don’t know anything about dogs. I need to learn but I want this to be for Christmas.” She crossed her arms. “So what do you want me to do?” “I’d like you to keep Mistletoe until Christmas. Maybe pretend you adopted her. I’d like Holly to learn how to care for a dog, well, and me, too. Maybe we could come help feed her, walk her. I don’t know, just spend some time with her, getting used to her.” Tess studied him. She seemed to do that a lot. Did she find him lacking somehow? Mike had admitted she was reluctant to help him, but had agreed to for Holly’s sake. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked her to help with this. Maybe that was overstepping the bounds of what she was willing to do for them. “I’ll think about it.” Relief rushed through him. “I don’t want to lose Mistletoe. I’ll talk to Mrs. Shull and let her know.” “I haven’t agreed to it yet.” Alex smiled, unable to stop the words before they rushed out. “No, but you will. You care about Holly.”

Lynn Crandall lives in the Midwest and writes in the company of her cat. She has been a reader and a writer all her life. Her background is in journalism, but whether writing a magazine or newspaper story or creating a romance, she loves the power stories hold to transport, inspire, and uplift. In her romances, she focuses on vulnerable, embraceable characters who don't back down.

Lainee Cole’s love affair with books began when she was young, and her mother encouraged her love of reading. By the time she was in seventh grade, Lainee was making up her own stories and poems, exploring various styles of writing. Ah, the drama of junior high. She wouldn't go back to those days for anything! But reading voraciously and exploring different types of writing led her to romances. She loves the challenge of writing romance, developing characters and figuring out what makes them tick. They often take on a life of their own, surprising and annoying her. But they also give her hope and inspire her to follow her dreams. Lainee strives to write stories that will make readers laugh and cry, give them hope, and encourage them to believe in the power of love.

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Angles

Angles – Part 1

by Erin Lockwood

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

This story is about friendship and relationship triangles, love and protection, love and understanding, and love and true love.

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EXCERPT:

By the time I get back to dancing with Dean, I feel something, someone, watching me. The feeling I felt before my speech is stronger now. There’s something consuming my surroundings—an invisible, sweltering blanket over me. As soon as I have the chance, I look around and try to find the source of this feeling—the burning eyes I can’t see, yet, but I sense are focused on me.

I casually scan the room between dips and twirls.

My breath catches. There they are—the eyes I’ve been searching for. A man, a gorgeous man, in a perfectly tailored suit is staring at me. It’s no mistake. Now that I see him, I know his eyes are the source of this feeling I’ve been having.

There are worse people to have stare at you. He might be a little older, but he’s very attractive. He wears his dark brown hair slicked and styled up and back. It looks soft enough to run my fingers through and short enough to create a little edge to it. His blackish gray suit blends in with his olive, tan skin. Every part of him is dark and smoky, except his eyes. His turquoise-blue eyes are so bright; they’re like headlights shining at me. A lighthouse warning me not to come too close or my boat will crash.  - Chapter 2

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Erin Lockwood grew up in Castro Valley, California, and attended the University of Oregon where she graduated with a degree in journalism in 2003. From there, she moved to Denver, Colorado, and spent the next seven years searching for the love of her life and building the family of her dreams.

It wasn’t long until, with children starting preschool and more time on her hands, Erin refocused on her career, beginning with a successful entry into the world of residential real estate as a realtor. Free time was spent reading book after book—and binge-watching the subsequent films—in the New Adult genre. Hopelessly in love with her husband, she wrote him a short story for their fifth wedding anniversary. That’s when she discovered her tireless passion to share her experience of falling in love through fictional characters. That story evolved into the first novel in the Angles Trilogy.

Erin still lives in Denver with her husband, Phil, and their three children. They spend most of their summers and holidays on the beautiful island of Coronado where Erin and Phil wish to retire someday.

Learn more about Erin and the Angles Trilogy at www.anglestrilogy.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Buy Link:

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angles-erin-lockwood/1125051956

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angles-Part-I-Erin-Lockwood/dp/1483582396/ref=sr_1_1

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Erin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors

Welcome to Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors, your chance to sample the work of a talented group of authors. When you finish here you can find more snippets at

http://www.wewriwa.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SnippetSunday/

Last week we saw that after the wrestling match started, Cade hit Rocky with a chair, and Rocky didn't get up. We also saw that in the ambulance he asked if it was safe to sit up, and at that point Aimee slapped him. The driver told Aimee there was no call to hit him because it wasn't his fault. Aimee doesn't think Dave (the driver) and Rocky understand the seriousness of their position. (They ticked off drug dealers and have to fake Rocky's death so he can enter the witness protection program.) We pick up where Rocky's manager Rich arrives at the hospital.

Excerpt:

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Rich promised.

Aimee bit her lip as grim amusement bordering on hysteria threatened to make her laugh. Even Rocky’s manager was in the dark. Just as she expected, Rich returned a few minutes later with nothing to report. Another ten minutes crawled by before a marshal dressed in scrubs appeared in the doorway.

“Ms. Sherwood?”

Aimee jumped up, noting that her knees really were quivering. One more part to play before this charade ended. “That’s me.”

“Come with me, please.” 

Blurb:
Aimee Sherwood never dreamed that following her fiancé into the witness protection pro-gram would land her in a haunted house in a town that’s downright creepy. She’d have laughed if she had been told the guy who lives down the road might be her soul mate, not the man whose ring she’s wearing. Life in West Virginia is nothing like life in Los Angeles, but between bean ball battles with Marilyn Monroe, remodeling a crumbling farmhouse, and starting a new online business, life in the country is anything but boring.

Buy link:
http://amzn.to/23yoW2d

Saturday Sample: Fortuna

Welcome to Saturday Sample. Today I'll still be posting from Fortuna my romantic comedy. So far we know that Rocky has faked his death to enter the witness protection program. This scene is at Rocky's fake funeral. Aimee just left the receiving line in fake tears and is hiding out in the restroom.

Blurb:
Aimee Sherwood never dreamed that following her fiancé into the witness protection pro-gram would land her in a haunted house in a town that’s downright creepy. She’d have laughed if she had been told the guy who lives down the road might be her soul mate, not the man whose ring she’s wearing. Life in West Virginia is nothing like life in Los Angeles, but between bean ball battles with Marilyn Monroe, remodeling a crumbling farmhouse, and starting a new online business, life in the country is anything but boring. 

Excerpt:

She hid in the restroom for as long as she thought she could. As she approached the door that would take her back to the hallway, she caught sight of herself in a long, full-length mirror. Good grief, she looked awful in black, so pale and sad-looking. No wonder everyone had been kind to her. They probably thought her heart was broken. Of course, they had a pink light at the head and foot of the casket, even though there was no corpse needing a bit of color in its face. That probably gave her a little pink wash and made her look better.

She turned sideways to look at herself. People with skin as white and translucent as hers should wear something colorful. With her blue eyes and blonde hair, fuchsia or a nice blue looked perfect. Pink was good too. Fumbling in her purse, she located a tube of lipstick. Maybe it would help. She applied the lipstick and rubbed her lips together. Yes, definitely better. 

Fashionista Friday

Romwe 1 by dinka1-749 featuring high heel boots

Gray dress
romwe.com

Boutique Moschino white jacket
$545 - net-a-porter.com

Jennifer Lopez high heel boots
kohls.com

Fendi leather purse
portero.com

Rhinestone jewelry
romwe.com

Flower earrings
romwe.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from my house to yours.

We’re Thankful For...

We’re thankful for the basics:
food, clothing and comfortable shelter;
the rest is a bountiful bonus.
We’re thankful for work, play,
and the treasured people
who make these experiences
richer and more meaningful.
We’re most thankful
for family and friends,
especially the dear friends
who are reading this poem!

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Joanna Fuchs

http://www.poemsource.com/thanksgiving-poems.html

Not Just For Christmas

Title: Not Just For Christmas

Author: Kim Knight

Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella

Available Now - Kindle Unlimited

In Not Just For Christmas readers are taken on a romantic journey set in London, during the festive season, following two characters originally opposed to each other fall in love, with a enough warmth and sensuality to keep readers warm at any time of year.

As Christmas draws near thirty-five-year-old social worker Ava Green, finds herself desperate to not be alone at her favourite time of year. Following the break- up of her engagement to her ex earlier in the year, Ava has spent ten months on a mission to get over her ex. With the support of her two of her closest girlfriends Tasha and Marie, Ava makes a bold move which surprises her girlfriends in order to find a companion for the festive season. Ava’s path crosses with tall dark and handsome Detective Jerome Samuels, a forty-five-year-old divorcee also in search of love. Once their paths cross after a few bumps along the way there’s no turning back, these two characters are caught up in a whirlwind of sensual and heart –warming romance, that Detective Jerome Samuels hopes is not just for Christmas, he’s on a mission to claim his lady Ava.

8:00p.m. the Eastern Star Restaurant Jerome stands outside the restaurant, rubbing his hands together for warmth in the snow. He’s full of nerves. He hopes with all his heart that Ava won’t be mad with him for his cold treatment a few hours ago, and that she understands why he didn’t want his cover blown. Maybe she’ll even see the funny side of it. He eyes a black London taxi across the road pull up. Ava steps out and astounds him. She looks amazing. Jerome takes her in from head to toe wearing black knee high winter boots with a stiletto heel, she’s wrapped up in a black trench coat. Her belt is pulled tightly emphasising her narrow waist and curvy hips, she sports a large green scarf and leather gloves. Instantly he feels his groin wake up. He has an urge to undress her and make passionate love to her immediately. She crosses the busy road, and does a double take as she notices him standing outside the Eastern Star.

Kim is thirty-three, from London in the UK. She’s a qualified teacher and mother to a beautiful toddler. As a reader, she’s head over heels in love with romance, historical fiction, crime fiction, African- American, suspense and thriller genre books. After submitting three chapters of a romance /suspense novel she was writing to a USA based publisher in 2016, she scored her first publishing contact. Kim’s first novel was released September 2016, A Stranger in France. Her second novella is Not Just for Christmas. Kim is currently writing her third book a romantic -thriller. As a writer, Kim likes to create stories within the romantic -suspense and general thriller genres, with a diverse and multi-cultural character line up. Kim also writes beauty and book related articles published in Love Life, Live magazine. When she’s not reading or writing novels of her own, her other passions include practising her French, fashion and spending time at her sewing machine dress making, watching make –up and beauty tutorials on YouTube, letter writing and being a mum.

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