My Books!

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Beyond the Book

Have you ever been swayed by the appeal/cleverness of an ad for one particular brand to switch from another that you generally used?

Years ago I had a stove with old-fashioned coiled eyes. It worked fine, but it sure did get dirty and discolored as time went by. The look of the thing annoyed me so I spent time scrubbing and trying to clean it up. It was hard work, and I was never really pleased with it.

One night my husband and I accidently found one of those infomercials that used to come on TV. They probably still do, but I don’t ever watch them. Anyway, the program was advertising a stove cleaner. They sprayed their product into a dirty oven, and just like that the grime melted off and could be wiped away with a cloth. They also demonstrated how great the product worked on the metal rings and pan underneath the coiled stove eyes. 

This method of cleaning looked a lot easier than what I’d been doing so I wrote down the phone number and called to place my order. Of course it was eventually time to try it. To my shock the baked on debris didn’t just wipe off. You had to use a LOT of elbow grease. I wasn’t crushed by this failure, but I was disappointed. 

So what did I learn about believing all the claims made by advertisements? Take them with a grain of salt, and if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. I did change my dish washing liquid after watching a commercial, and it does work well, but the dish still doesn’t wash itself. 

I’m older now, and it’s hard for an ad to sway me into changing from a product that I like. I mainly pay attention to ads for things I’m looking to buy.  How about you? Are you a pushover for advertisements?

Knight of the Crescent Moon

Title: Knight of the Crescent Moon
Series: Crescent Moon Chronicles Book 1
Author: L.E. Towne
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: January 1, 2020
Tam must protect her city and open her heart—before time runs out.
Homicide Detective Tam Paradiso really doesn't need more complications, but, she spends her days keeping the streets of Philadelphia safe from gangsters and her nights keeping the innocents safe from supernatural monsters. Not only is she trying not to get taken out by hostiles every night, but she has to hide her monster hunting from the one person she trusts most—her cop partner, Xavier.
The last thing Tam needs are additional complications, but when sixteenth century British playwright Christopher Marlowe appears during one of her hunts, saves her from death by ghoul, and then asks her help to hunt down a strigoi running loose in the city, Tam finds herself embroiled in a more sinister plot than she ever could have imagined.
Between hunting the bloodthirsty monster, sniffing out a mole in the Philadelphia PD, and uncovering her own family secrets, Tam is afraid to fall for the handsome, velvet-caped, time-traveling, stranger—especially since he will be zapped back to his time period in less than a week. Can Tam and Marlowe track down the beast before time runs out? Will Tam face her feelings for Marlowe before it's too late?
It was just another average day at work, until suddenly, it wasn't. The story of my life. Lots of waiting around, doing mundane things like data input and research, grocery shopping and dropping off the dry-cleaning, until something happens and I find myself in a ghoul infested cemetery, covered in tarry blood and a head recently separated from scaly shoulders comes rolling my way. Compliments of a Knight in purple velvet, his sword glinting under a crescent moon.
L. E. Towne is a self-proclaimed reluctant traveler and a continual student of the human condition known as real life. Her work has been published in Welter, Legendary, Zouch, and Main Street Rag, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine. Her debut novel is Knight of the Crescent Moon, the first of the Urban Fantasy series, Crescent Moon Chronicles, and is available on January 1, 2020. In between novels, she has written and produced several short plays. She currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her tuxedo cat, Kat Marlowe.
HOSTED BY:

Much Ado About a Widow


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancĂ©, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .

Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

Read an Excerpt

St. Just’s long silence suddenly struck her. He’d asked her a question ages ago. What was it? “Oh, no, my lord. I have never in my life seen such an awe-inspiring sight.”

A sharp gust of wind made her stagger into her companion’s side. The jolt was like a lightning strike, sizzling through her veins from her hair—which might indeed be standing on end—to her curling toes. She could do nothing but cling to him as the ship dipped and a splash of spray cascaded over the bow rail, spattering them with cold seawater. “Let’s get you back to the safety of the mast. The wind’s picked up rather quickly, which means the waves will likely do the same. We wouldn’t want you drenched and catching a chill.” He grinned and reversed their course. “Not when you’ve just begun to enjoy sailing.”

“Of course.” Swiftly, she stepped away from him and moved toward the towering timber in the center of the ship “Come, Lulu.”

The ship dipped violently forward, and a giant wave of water cascaded over the bow.

Georgie shrieked and grabbed St. Just’s arms again.

“I’ve got you.” He grabbed her about the waist, his strong arms anchoring her to his rock-hard chest, and she relaxed against him.

Frantic barking drew her attention to Lulu, drenched by the huge wave.

“Oh, Lulu! Come here.” Georgie bent down and beckoned to the dog.

The ship pitched forward again. Georgie lost her footing on the slippery planks and tumbled to the deck.

“Careful, my lady.” With St. Just’s help, she staggered to her feet, righting herself just as Lulu slid forward and disappeared over the side into the merciless waters of the Channel.

About the Author:
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can't stop.

Links:

Blog: http://www.jennajaxon.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.jaxon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenna_Jaxon
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/passionistimeless

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Much-about-Widow-Widows-Club-ebook/dp/B07Q6VM63Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, December 30, 2019

A Critical Tangent

Title: A Critical Tangent
Series: Moonlight & Murder #1
Author: Reily Garrett
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Release Date: December 29, 2019
Enter a world where ignorance and darkness mask deceit and chaos.
Katherine Tallerman’s focus on designing drones is shattered after her prototype records her roommate’s murder. Captured video details the masked killer’s promise to find his remote witness and finish the job.
Experience has taught good reason for not trusting any cop, especially when they come knocking on her door. Unfortunately for Keiki, their suspicions narrow when the second of her trio of friends disappears without a trace.
Conflicting evidence at a brutal crime scene leaves gossamer threads weaving a complicated web of lies and deceit. Every lead Detective Garnett finds steers the investigation to a deeper, darker network entangling the young coed in a labyrinth of cunning subterfuge.
Garnett is torn between following the letter of the law and protecting the witness determined to clear her name. Can he earn Keiki’s trust in time to save her life, or will the psychotic killer destroy the woman who is crushing his emotional defenses?
“Aw, Keiki, if I could find the fun button in your brain, I’d switch it to permanent on. You’re always working. You should’ve come hiking with me. Fresh air would do you good.” Shelly tisked then smiled. “Not that there’s anything wrong with loving your work, but you have an old man psyche trapped in a young woman’s body.”
“Thanks, Shelly, but no.” Keiki manipulated her latest drone to perform the simple but intricate task of picking a flower. The outing did sound nice, but Shelly needed private time to mourn the loss of her sister.
“The next time you fall asleep working, I’m going to town with my entire set of permanent markers.” Shelly held her hand out to accept the offered blossom pinched from its low-growing stem and giggled. “You’d look good with cat whiskers and exotic pink eyes.”
 “Test that theory, and I’ll replace your scented shampoo with baby oil.” The threat of laying waste to makeup or hair products usually ended any debate. “I’m about out of battery life. Can you bring it in?”
“Sure. Turn off the motors.”
Damn. The soft whirr from the small rotors altered in pitch as they shut down one by one.
Malevolent shadows crawled along the edges of the surrounding woods, receding with the rising sun. Even from miles away, Keiki’s skin crawled.
“I hear something.” Shelly rested a palm beside her woodland flower plot to lean forward.
Through remote viewing, Keiki watched her doppelganger freeze then tilt her head to the side, wrinkles of concern marring her forehead.
 “What?” Thanks to the hilly terrain, two-way communication crackled off and on.
 “Huh, must be a rabbit or squirrel. Anyway, as I was saying. Become a spinster with hundreds of drones instead of cats. I’ll keep you in contact with the outside world.” Again, Shelly paused and tilted her head as if listening to something off in the distance.
“Hey, why don’t you come back now and we’ll have breakfast?”
 “Yeah, okay. I’m coming. Can you extend the range on this thing’s transmission ability? The video feed isn’t so great.” Lips nibbled between her teeth marked Shelly’s worry when she leaned forward to whisper.
“I’m working on it. What’s wrong?
“I’m kinda spooked. Something doesn’t feel right.” Her fingers’ wobble shook the drone’s body. It listed sideways with a squeak.
 “Shelly?”
“I’m fine. It’s just my clumsiness in challenging gravity… Oh, about the frat party tonight, wanna go?”
The viewing angle changed again as Shelly stood.
 “No. And before you start, I do have fun. I just don’t have time to party with you and Gabby. Some people stay focused on their future,” Keiki grumbled as she monitored her prototype’s efficiency on her laptop and sipped a caramel latte.
A distinctive metallic snap coincided with her device’s struggle to function.
“Oops. Sorry, Keeks. An arm broke off above your tracker thingy. I’ll stick it in my pocket, and you can glue it back on, or whatever. Do we still have audio and visual feed?”
“Yeah, just bring the rest of it back in one piece, okay?” Keiki groaned, predicting the hour it would take to fix. “Careful. That thing is one of two prototypes, but that one gets the best reception.” Keiki set her coffee down, the cup tilting when settling on her friend’s access card. “Oops, your work ID now has a brown ring on it. You really should be more careful with it.”
“How rude of me to leave it where you’d drink your coffee.”
“That’s why we get along so well. We think alike. I’ll stick it on my dresser. It’ll be safer there.”
“If you’d stop losing yours, you wouldn’t have to borrow mine… shit. Something is coming.” Fear coiled through Shelly’s voice. “Sounded like a branch snapping down the trail. Something big and heavy.”
“Is it a black bear? You know what to do.”
A silent moment passed.
 On screen, the image shook.
“Uh… who are you? What do you want?” Shelly’s wrist rotated, tilting the angle of the drone’s camera to the trampled weeds.
Through the odd angle, booted feet shuffled backward to leave two furrowed tracks. No one had ever intruded on her friend’s private sanctuary.
“I’m a messenger, here to show your boss what happens when he refuses to work with us. We tried being nice. Now we’ll do things my way.”
HOSTED BY:

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors: Never Trust a Pretty Wolf

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/

For the last few months I've been sharing excerpts from Turnaround Farm, but today I'm sharing from another book, Never Trust a Pretty Wolf. We'll begin with Chapter One. I'm posting the same thing I posted last Sunday because I forgot to sign up. So forgive me if you've already read this.

Blurb:
Liesel Wolf has a secret, a dangerous secret she’ll go to any lengths to conceal. When she’s paired in a charity game with sexy marshal Andy Bryce, a man with secrets of his own, her carefully constructed world comes crashing down, and Liesel’s on a collision course with her past.


Last week:
Excerpt: I've skipped a few paragraphs. Andy and Liesel are at dinner.

Saturday Sample

Welcome to Saturday Sample. Today we'll continue to share excerpts from Never Trust a Pretty Wolf.

Blurb:
Liesel Wolf has a secret, a dangerous secret she’ll go to any lengths to conceal. When she’s paired in a charity game with sexy marshal Andy Bryce, a man with secrets of his own, her carefully constructed world comes crashing down, and Liesel’s on a collision course with her past.


Excerpt: 
Chapter One

Last Week
She briefly shook his hand but furtively wiped it on her dress the moment she let go. “How do you do, Mr. Bryce?”

Her hand had felt smooth and soft in his, yet she had a firm grip. “That’s a little formal. Why don’t you call me Andy?”

“Okay, Andy.”

Hm. She didn’t tell him to call her Liesel.


“Let’s go inside,” Melton urged. “The caterer’s ready to

serve dinner.”

This week: I've skipped a few paragraphs. Andy and Liesel are seated at the dinner table.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Wannabe More

Title: Wannabe More
Series: Love in Seven Mile Forge #1
Author: Billie Dale
Genre: New Adult Romance
On Sale 99 Cents - Release Day ONLY


From Author Billie Dale comes a story of friendship spanning two decades. A life of loyalty, family and love tested by decisions made with the best intentions. With Dale’s signature wit and a cast of characters you can’t help but adore. Wannabe More, book one in Love In Seven Mile Forge, will prove second chances do exist.
After years of friendship, that summer he was mine. 
With our futures waiting to take us down separate paths after graduation, we made a pact. 
To explore being more than friends.
To indulge in all we’d been holding back. 
We couldn't have possibly known it would change everything. 
One unexpected night in the barn, seeking refuge from the rain, altered our destiny but I refuse to let our actions undo all his hard work. 
I’ll sacrifice everything for him to live out his dream in the NBA. But when he finds out the truth, will he hate me for it?

Mazric

“I am an idiot.” Her body falls lax and her head snuggles into the cup of my palm. “This, tonight was never friendship because you’ve been more from the start. Yes, you drove me crazy, and I hated how I couldn’t wait to spend my days with a yucky girl. I’ve tried to put you in so many boxes because losing you is not an option. You’re superior to me in all things, including knowing how you felt, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel it.” I raise her hand, laying it where my heart pounds. “There’s this special place right here, and it’s labeled Sammy Lee. Tonight belonged to you, whether it was at this stupid dance or sitting in my room in pajamas. I admit I pitied you for a minute a million years ago, but then you became so precious; I not only need to protect you but want you all for myself.”

“Mazric.” My name whispers like a prayer and her eyes turn to moss as wetness builds on her lower lids.

My finger trails her jawbone, my thumb settling on the pad of her bottom lip. “Your first kiss? Was Hendrix so horrible you’ve forgotten making out with him in eighth grade at Asia’s party?” 

Her lips pull tight and her brow form an unhappy, confused scrunch before her eyes spring open wide. “I figured you would’ve put it all together when Asia came to school complaining. Hendrix held my hair while I puked in all the pretty shoes in the closet. There was no kissing, touching, or anything else just a lot of spiked punch purging.”
Billie Dale lives in no-where middle earth. Lost in a small village in the Midwest with four kids, three animals and an amazing, word inspiring book boyfriend worthy husband. 
A blogger by nature and a writer because she got tired of arguing with the voices in her head. She loves and lives the words on the page, whether writing them or reading them her life is consumed by the worlds her head creates. 
Her greatest wish is that readers will fall in love with her words as much as she loves writing them and as much as she loves reading others. She loves to create new worlds to explore and loves to write words that will take root in you soul. 
Paranormal, New Adult, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary — there is not one box she fits in. She’s a rebel in the author world who writes what her head tells her even it jumps from genre to genre.
HOSTED BY: