I am excited to share Heather L Reid’s Pretty Dark series.
Just look at the beautiful cover and you can see why I couldn’t resists checking it out further. Then, I read – All it will cost is her blood – in the synopsis. Hmmm…
So let’s get to my review and the giveaway. You too can have a copy for your very own.
Title: Pretty Dark Sacrifice (Pretty Dark Nothing #2)
Publication date: July 28, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Heather L. Reid
MY REVIEW
Pretty Dark Sacrifice by Heather L Reid is Book II in the Pretty Dark series, but I will do my best to only share my feelings and not include any spoilers.
Pretty Dark Sacrifice picks up where Pretty Dark Nothing left off.
Quinn still hasn’t mastered her powers and I am wondering if she needs a swift kick in the ass and to be told to “man” up. At least that is how I felt in the opening pages, but she quickly proved me wrong. She grew to be stronger, both physically and mentally.
Her best friend, Reese, is normally a happy go lucky girl and the kind of best friend we all wish we had, but her secrets were driving a wedge between them that she thought could not be avoided. Reese deserves a normal life and I want it for her.
Will Quinn fulfill the prophecy? Will she be the savior or the bringer of doom?
As Lilith inserts her evil presence, the story’s pace increases for me. I begin to feel a sense of danger and suspense. Just what I’ve been waiting for. I was enjoying the story, but wanted some of that extra kick. You know what I mean.
Humans, demons, sentinels, immortals and Lilith. The box, Eve and angels.
The angels make me think of the TV show, Supernatural. Just because they’re an angel, doesn’t make them good.
Can you change your destiny? Aren’t we given the power of choice?
A love story that lasts for eternity.
As the story develops the clash between good and evil threatens the humans very existence.
Quinn has grown and developed, gained confidence and fights doubts, determined to accomplish her goal – to save Aaron.
I was given a copy of Pretty Dark Sacrifice by Heather L Reid in return for an honest and unbiased review.
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS
It’s been five weeks, two days, and eight hours since the demons forced Quinn to throw herself into the raging river, since Aaron sacrificed himself to save her, since his body disappeared without a trace.
Everyone wants Quinn to move on, but she can’t, not after a spirit appears to her at Aaron’s memorial, convincing her he’s still alive.
When a mysterious box materializes on the very spot Aaron disappeared, Quinn finds she’s at the center of an ancient prophesy of betrayal, revenge, and sacrifice that takes her to the depths of the underworld to face Lilith—Adam’s first wife.
If Quinn can stop Lilith from unleashing the demon horde Eve, trapped inside the box during the Battle of Eden millennia ago, she will save the human realm and free Aaron from an eternity in torment.
All it will cost is her blood.
ABOUT HEATHER L. REID
Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and writing new tales of fantasy and horror.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it..
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.
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I have tried to come up with a way to make things simpler for myself when it comes to choosing my next novel to share. This is what I have come up with.
I am starting with the first novel on *this* bookshelf and…
now I am on to the second novel, Meg by Steve Alten
I have been a huge fan of Steve Alten’s for some time now. I find his creatures amazing and love having them come alive on the pages as I read each new story. I am always eager to see what he will come up with next and I think he is taking this series of novels in a direction most of us fans never saw coming.
Jim shot a quick glance over his right shoulder and saw jaws wider than a school bus snap shut, catching nothing but water. As the Meg’s torso plunged headfirst and down into the wave, the surfer cut again hard to his right, accelerating n the dark, shooting past the last place he’d seen the luminescent white monster.
(56% of a hardcover)
MY BOOK BEGINNINGS
The Professor:
“Imagine a great white shark, fifty to sixty feet in length, weighing close to forty thousand pounds. Can you visualize that?” Professor Jonas Taylor looked at his audience of just over six hundred and paused for effect. “I find it hard to imagine myself sometimes, but this monster did exist. Its head alone was probably as large as a Dodge Ram pickup. Its jaws could have engulfed and swallowed four grown men whole. And I haven’t even mentioned the teeth: razor-sharp, seven to nine inches long, with th e serrated edges of a stainless-steel steak knife.”
SYNOPSIS
Revised and Expanded. On a top-secret dive into the Pacific Ocean’s deepest canyon, Jonas Taylor found himself face-to-face with the largest and most ferocious predator in the history of the animal kingdom. The sole survivor of the mission, Taylor is haunted by what he’s sure he saw but still can’t prove exists – Carcharodon megalodon, the massive mother of the great white shark. The average prehistoric Meg weighs in at twenty tons and could tear apart a Tyrannosaurus rex in seconds. Taylor spends years theorizing, lecturing, and writing about the possibility that Meg still feeds at the deepest levels of the sea. But it takes an old friend in need to get him to return to the water, and a hotshot female submarine pilot to dare him back into a high-tech miniature sub. Diving deeper than he ever has before, Taylor will face terror like he’s never imagined. MEG is about to surface. When she does, nothing and no one is going to be safe, and Jonas must face his greatest fear once again.
I love covers!
Meg has a couple of covers for different editions.
These shots and video were taken by Mr Wonderful and me over the last several days.
Thursday – The clouds rolled in and I mean that literally. I have been watching the skies since Thursday, when the crackling boom of thunder surrounded the house and I opened the front door to investigate. Funny how the bad weather is out front and the sun shines on the pool and patio. *all photos not to be used without permission*
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Friday – We had an itch to visit the beach and had to scratch it. We hadn’t been to Hooters for a while, so a wing call was in order. Hooters is on Pensacola Bay, with a view of the piers for boats and, of course, our signature white, sandy beach. It is a great place to people watch, especially as this storm rolls in. I can certainly see why we are the lightning capital and so many people are struck by lightning. Check out the video and you will see why for yourself.
Thunderstorm over Pensacola Bay (c) sherry j fundin
Actually, I can’t remember if me or Mr Wonderful took this, but I am think three strikes and we may be out.
Hubby took this from a video. It looks like someone opened up a portal in the sky and said, “Hey you dumbasses, get off the beach.”
Saturday – Mr Wonderful was working the Pensacola Wahoos baseball game, but the starting time was delayed. As the cloud rolls in, the tarp rolls out.
This is just your typical Florida weather.
What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods?
A Taste for Mystery by K D Rose is currently on sale at Amazon for only 99 ¢ during the tour. You get two novellas for the price of one.
GUEST POST
I am excited to have K D Rose here to tell us about her books covers.
I am a *cover girl* so I love to hear how an author feels about their covers and the amount of work they put into the covers themselves.
So…take it away K D.
K.D. Rose Covers
Covers are one of my favorite things to do for my books. I love looking over stock photos and imagining covers that could work! For example, I literally have the most wonderful cover photo right now that I want so bad to put out but have no book for it!
My published books are a variety of cover work. Some of them I did myself, some I got from cover designers and some are half-in-half. Half-in-half means that I found a great photo and could do most of the design work but ran into a problem that my poor tech skills could not overcome so I went to a designer for that one issue or to smooth out the look. And really, to be honest, in most cases the eye of a professional designer is so much better. They just have the experience needed for the best layout. My eye is for picking great photos and that’s about it.
So here are some of my books and experiences:
My very first book. I worked with a talented graphic designer I know who happens to also be a talented writer, Jeremy Parker. I had very strong ideas of what I wanted for this journey to uncover the truth told via poetry, dialogues, short stories and essays. He totally got it and produced what is still my favorite graphic designer cover.
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Here is one of the covers I produced myself. The book is full of pictures like this, picked out exclusively to go with the poems they are set to. The book itself was written for teenage girls especially for empowerment during those years when feeling empowered can be so hard. I still love this cover and it’s my favorite of those I’ve done myself.
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Here’s a cover with an interesting story. This book was originally acquired by a publisher. It is book one of a YA/NA paranormal series. I already had a cover picked out but once it went with the publisher, their cover artist made the cover you see here. Then the publisher went out of business. I retained the cover artist so cover the book was now known by could stay. That cover artist is the talented Fiona Jayde.
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Here is my original cover that I had made for that book- this is one of the half-in half’s I talked about above. Part me, part designer— the talented owner of Amygdala Designs. Very different feel isn’t it. That is the great thing about licensing your own pictures and obtaining your own covers. Most likely I will use it for book 2 of the series which will only require small changes to the cover.
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For my three new releases out right now, one of which this blog post is for, simplicity was key. One was published by Three Worlds Press who used the cover I already had set for the book.
The Brevity of Twit looks like this. It’s a humor book about communication on Twitter.
Anger’s Children is all red with a bullet effect over the tag line.
Last, but not least, A Taste For Mystery went through several transitions, including getting a lot of feedback from wonderful authors on groups I belong to. Here is the final cover:
I’m happy with the way all my covers have come out. It helps when as an author I get to participate in the process. It gets the creative juices flowing plus I gain valuable experience from those who know design. All in all a win-win.
Thank you so much for taking the time to put together such an informative guest post, K D. I loved learning about all your covers and see that you strive for some of the things that grab me…simplicity being one of my favorites. I think a simplistic cover takes a lot of creativity to express the story inside.
I hope you enjoyed your visit, K D and I look forward to having you here again.
I love the cover in its simplicity. The light and shadows make me look a little closer for any hidden clues. Do you see any?
Add me to Goodreads now.
A Taste For Mystery (Two Novellas)
by K.D. Rose
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BLURB
A Taste For Killing
Mystery and Romance blend together when competing detectives Carolyn Woods and Jack Heart are both hired to solve a murder, only to realize they are working the same case. To complicate things, Carolyn and Jack have an on again, off again relationship. Then there is Evan Jones, a handsome architect— but he’s also a suspect.
Can Carolyn solve the case as more and more murders pile up? Will her relationship with Jack hinder their investigations? And what about Evan Jones? He seems like the perfect man, but could he actually be the murderer?
One thing is for sure: someone close to Carolyn and Jack has a taste for killing.
A Taste For Danger
Jack Heart drinks to excess daily. His apartment is in shambles, he’s isolated himself from all his friends, and he stumbles to the couch every night to sleep off an alcoholic stupor. All that changes when he receives a phone call with a job offer from a man he barely knew. Asked to go undercover in an elite business, Jack is thrown into the deep end and hasn’t a clue what he’s in for— or looking for— until he starts asking questions.
Suddenly, Jack must track down an embezzler inside a swanky corporation riff with politics, game-playing, and treachery. The deeper Jack goes, the more dirt he finds. Can this out-of-place detective survive and still crack the case? Not to mention some of women he works with have plans for him—plans that are way more than he bargained for.
One thing is certain: Jack’s taste for danger will take him to the edge of disaster.
EXCERPT
Jack made sure to get his parking pass from the secretary for tomorrow. He wasn’t made of money, and today was gonna cost him twenty bucks. Cheryl followed him out, and they took the elevator down together. Jack thought this little get-together might be a good chance to interview her. What was she head of again? He couldn’t remember. He’d have to ask her. His instincts told him to wait until the bar.
Jack made sure to put his briefcase in the trunk. Cheryl brought a satchel with her and sat up front. She directed him out. Apparently she lived not too far away from him, although in the city, even a block of traffic could turn a short drive into an hour. Stuck in rush hour, Cheryl made small-talk.
“So you dined with the big cheese today?” She opened.
“Word gets around fast.”
“Yes, anytime someone from HQ comes, everyone knows it. Knows to be on their toes.”
“I see.”
“What they can’t figure out is whether to be on their toes around you.”
Now he got it. She was on a scouting mission for the office. He wondered if they drew straws. “I’m just a nobody,” he said.
“I doubt that,” said Cheryl, “or the Deputy VP wouldn’t have taken such an interest in you. So what are you here to do?”
She said it smiling and casual, but underneath he could feel the shark in her.
“I’m not allowed to discuss the details,” he said.
“Oh my,” said Cheryl and raised her hands as if she was being held up. “Never mind. I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“Thanks,” he said, then stayed quiet. She didn’t try to pry anymore. He wondered if she would after a few drinks. Wait. That was his plan. Who was playing who here?
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ABOUT K D ROSE
K.D. Rose is a poet and author who currently has published “Heavy Bags of Soul”, “Inside Sorrow”, “I AM”, “Erasing: Shadows”, “Anger’s Children: Three Shorts That Will Blow Your Mind”, “A Taste for Mystery: Two Novellas” and her new release, “The Brevity of Twit”.
K.D.’s book, Inside Sorrow won the Readers Favorite 2013 international Silver Medal for Poetry. With fellow authors around the globe, KD was also a founding member of the e-magazine, INNOVATE.
K.D. has an eclectic mind and loves language, physics, philosophy, photography, design, art, writing, symbolism, semiotics, spirituality, and Dr. Who. KD Rose is an avid supporter of music, the arts, cutting edge science, technology, and creativity in all forms. K.D also has a chronic illness but doesn’t let it get her down. K.D. considers herself a “Spoonie” on the lam.
BAD TRAFFICK named a 2012 Top 5 Indie Pick by BloodWrites and a Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews! Also recently named a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review Best Books of 2013!
Although Bad Traffick is part of a series, it is a standalone novel and can be read by itself.
I am a huge fan of Leine Basso, a strong female protagonist, and DV Berkom. Her thrillers will leave you eagerly anticipating the next one. And I am ready, so bring it on.
Judging by the cover of Bad Traffick, I think DV Berkom will be having me gritting my teeth and hanging on the edge of my seat, hoping and praying that Leine Basso will find the girl before the traffickers. And I am not wrong.
Bad Traffick grabs my attention from the opening page and never lets me go. DV Berkom has the ability to put me in a state of suspense from cover to cover, rooting for the good guys…and maybe one not so good gal, while wishing the worst on the criminals and evil that spread their cancer to the young and innocent.
Leine Basso is an ex assassin and is now working security for an actor, Miles Fournier. His long lost sister comes to him for help to find her twelve year old daughter, Mara, who has been kidnapped by traffickers.
Leine is a strong female protagonist who is a suspect in three cold murder cases. She and Jensen, a detective for the LAPD Robbery Homicide Division, have the hots for each other, but with her being a murder suspect, they have to communicate on the down low. Will Jensen risk everything to be with the babe magnet?
Leine has a special relationship with her twenty one year old daughter, April. They have much more in common than your average mother and daughter. They had both been abducted. Now, April wants to learn “the business.” Hmm, could that be a story for another book? I guess we will have to wait and see. In the meantime…
There is much more going on than trafficking and I am very suspicious. Who can you trust? I found myself holding my breath, leaning forward in my seat with my hands tightly clenching the book as over and over again someone tried to kill her. Is it the same person or group? Is there more than one? I know it can’t happen, but I find myself yelling and talking to her, because even I do not know who she can trust.
Bad Trafffick is the second book in The Leine Basso Series, Serial Date being the first. They stand alone, so no cliffhangers or waiting to find out the ending. Still, I can hardly wait to begin the third book in the series, The Body Market, that sits patiently on my side table saying, “Read me.” DV has also just released the fourth book in the series, Cargo.
I received a copy of Bad Traffick from DV Berkom in return for an honest and unbiased review.
5 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Dangerous obsessions take center stage when a former assassin and a homicide detective race against the clock to find a missing girl before she’s lost forever.
Identified as a person of interest in three cold case murders she didn’t commit, ex-assassin Leine Basso accepts a temporary position as a bodyguard for A-list actor Miles Fournier as a favor to Detective Santiago Jensen.
Soon, a woman contacts Miles claiming to be his long-lost sister and confides that her daughter has been abducted by traffickers. Leine must confront her own demons as she races to rescue the girl before it’s too late.
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 1 box set (includes the 1st four novellas in the series).
(The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 2 includes Cruising for Death (#5), YD, and AOWTTD, all for $8.99 (bought separately they would be 12.99)
***all covers link to amazon, I am an affiliate***
Check out all these beautiful covers for the Kate Jones thrillers by DV Berkom.
GIVEAWAY
DV Berkom is offering an ebook from her backlist to one individual commenter. International. All you need to do is answer the following question and leave your email:
“I am a *cover girl*. What is your favorite thing about the cover for Bad Traffick by DV Berkom?”
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of adailyrhythm.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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The Fisherman’s Son by Marilyn Peake is a middle grade fantasy. Her last newsletter announced it was free, so I quickly checked it out.
I mean look at that cover – dolphins, swimming and playing in the sunshine. I can almost feel the water flowing across my as I swim with the dolphins.
The Fisherman’s Son by Marilyn Peak is still FREE. Just click on the cover and get your copy. While you are there, be sure and pick up the other two, The City of the Golden Sun and Return of the Golden Age.
…Wiley collapsed on the couch, put his face in his hands, and began to sob uncontrollably. Deep in his heart, he expected that someone would come over to him and comfort him.
Do you think anyone did?
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(28% on Kindle)
SYNOPSIS
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THE FISHERMAN’S SON is a middle grade fantasy novel about the adventures of Wiley O’Mara. On the back of a magical dolphin, the twelve-year-old rescues six boys trapped in an ancient city under the sea. Along the way, he fights both The Beast in the Forest and a Fire Beast guarding the city of old.
REVIEWS
PIERS ANTHONY, author of the Xanth series, the Incarnations of Immortality series, the Adept series, and so much more!
Now I have read The Fisherman’s Son. This is a nice children’s fantasy, grounded in realism. Even the fantastic element is realistic, in that the dolphin doesn’t abridge the rules just for convenience; the right introduction has to be made. It’s not all right to make the excuse “I lost the cup because of a bear.”
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief of the “Midwest Book Review”
The Fisherman’s Son is a delightful and colorfully narrated tale which documents Marilyn Peake as a story teller of considerable narrative skill.
Rebecca Brown, Founder of “RebeccasReads”
The Fisherman’s Son is a complex tale simply written, with fascinating detail & unblinking reality borrowing from legends & sagas deep within our collective memories.
Phillip Tomasso III, “The Best Reviews”
Marilyn Peake has burst onto the scene as a promising writer with the release of her first middle grade novel, The Fisherman’s Son.
…Peake is a talented, creative and passionate storyteller. The Fisherman’s Son is a thought provoking, heart-felt fantasy novel with a twist. It lends itself to great discussion questions to be reviewed with parents, teachers, or friends. Easy to pick up and read, hard to put down.
Beverly J. Rowe, “My Shelf”
The author’s descriptions of the underwater world are exhilarating as Wiley traverses the depths and meets up with wonderful undersea creatures and the fearsome dragon-beast that guards the entrance to the village.
This book would be a great read-aloud project for the whole family.
Tracy Farnsworth, “Roundtable Reviews”
Marilyn Peake launches her debut with a fast paced offering that contains excellent imagery amidst a coming of age story.
The Fisherman’s Son will appeal to readers both young and old.
This relatively quick read is a perfect offering for those who love fantasy.
Sharon Schulz-Elsing, Contributing Editor of “Curled Up With a Good Book”
Marilyn Peake’s first fantasy novel for young readers, The Fisherman’s Son, calls to mind all the mystery and wonder of Orson Scott Card’s earlier mythological works such as Hart’s Hope or Seventh Son in its quest-style tale, and in its evocative descriptions of a place much like early nineteenth-century Ireland comes close to the lush and luminous visual treatment of John Sayles’ magical film The Secret of Roan Innish.
…this children’s debut shines with fear, wonder, triumph and loss. Few readers will be able to resist this tale of a resourceful young boy…
Jennie S. Bev
This first book by author Marilyn Peake shows her tremendous talent in story telling.
In many ways, I found The Fisherman’s Son a strong novel for children.
Cheryl McCann, “Review-Books”
The Fisherman’s Son is a children’s novel filled with fantasy, adventure and the heroic qualities of a brave, young boy. Even though it is considered a children’s book, I certainly enjoyed the rich, descriptive text of this tale.
Covers are linked to Amazon.
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I have been toying with a way to make things stand out, such as synopsis, about the author and some important details, like commenting problems.
Which do you like better (this or the above), or do you have another suggestion? I would love to have your input. Thanks so much and happy reading.
A Thin Slice of Heaven by p m terrell has so much going on, I couldn’t help but check it out. A mass haunting and a new love, even though he does not belong in the land of the living.
I love this cover. I see it as a digital painting and think is is very creatively done. I am a “cover girl” and I am so happy to have p m terrell here today to tell us about her covers.
GUEST POST
A BOOK AND ITS COVER
When asked to select my favorite cover from my nineteen released titles, I find myself wavering. I have several favorites and for different reasons.
The Pendulum Files is the most eye-catching cover, and it placed as a finalist in the Best Cover Design in 2014. For that reason, when all my books are displayed together, my eyes always gravitate toward that one. It shows a ship at sunset on the open seas, which factors into the plot of the book where ships are being destroyed at sea but no one is taking credit for the action, leaving the United States government to unravel the mystery. The pendulum is on the cover as well; CIA psychic spy Vicki Boyd continues to hear a pendulum and knows it will lead to the culprits.
The White Devil of Dublin has a white background, which is unusual in today’s market. It depicts the image of a man’s eyes, brows and nose, which is meant to represent the albino Viking invader of Dublin, Hvitr Bard, or The White Devil. The image is taken from an actual photograph of Hunter Dorton, the son of John Dorton, a renowned international photographer (www.johndortonphotography.com). John took the photograph of his son himself.
I have sometimes had input in the cover design but sometimes I will see the cover after the book is in production. My least favorite cover is a pink one. It was released eight years ago at a time when I truly disliked the color pink—I think it had more to do with my efforts to be taken seriously as a suspense novelist than with the color itself—and I was horrified when I saw the cover. Unfortunately, I had no decision-making influence.
Other covers have depicted places where the book is set: Vicki’s Key shows a haunted house in which CIA psychic spy Vicki Boyd moves; Dylan’s Song shows a cemetery based on an actual photograph taken in Ireland—the cemetery is central to the unraveling of Dylan’s story; and my latest, A Thin Slice of Heaven, shows the castle in which Charleigh is stranded for the weekend due to an unusual snowstorm. Her room is in the turret and the castle begins to come alive with ghostly hauntings and secrets from centuries past.
She had arranged to meet her husband in Northern Ireland for a second honeymoon, but when Charleigh arrives at the remote castle, she receives a message that he won’t be coming—and that he’s leaving her for another woman.
Stranded for the weekend by a snowstorm that has blocked all access to the castle, she finds herself three thousand miles from home in a country she knows nothing about.
She is soon joined by Sean Bracken, the great-grandson of Laird Bracken, the original owner of the castle, and she finds herself falling quickly and madly in love with him. There’s just one problem: he’s dead.
As the castle begins to come alive with secrets from centuries past, she finds herself trapped between parallel worlds. Caught up in a mass haunting, she can no longer recognize the line between the living and the dead. Now she’s discovering that her appearance there wasn’t by accident—and her life is about to change forever.
EXCERPT
He moved closer to her until he was leaning over her, looking deeply into her eyes. She felt his presence more than she recalled feeling any living being, and yet she knew… She didn’t know what she knew, she realized. It was beyond her comprehension.
Her eyes traveled along his shirt. It appeared custom made and fit him like a glove. She reached out to stroke the fabric. It felt coarse and yet soft, as if the fibers had originally been more abrasive than modern-day clothing, but it had been worn into a suppleness like her favorite pair of slippers. Her fingers traveled along the sleeve. She felt his muscle beneath it, rippling slightly as her fingertips pressed more deeply against him. The seconds passed as she continued moving along his arm until she felt the short, fine hair on the back of his hand. Then she traveled upward once more, memorizing the contours until her palm rested across his shoulder.
He never said a word but his eyes didn’t leave hers, even when her own scrutinized the hand-sewn seam of his shirt sleeve that lay a few inches below his shoulder, or the folds of fabric in the sleeve that was just short of billowing, or the carefully constructed cuff with the slightly misshapen, handmade buttons.
When her palm reached his face and her fingers followed the line of his jaw, she asked hesitantly, “How is it that I can—?” She stopped herself. Maybe she didn’t want to know. Maybe if she knew, he would disappear and she would be left alone in this massive castle. Perhaps if he wasn’t here, the moon and the stars would seem to disintegrate as well until she was left with nothing but the inky blackness of a night that would feel too long and too painful to endure.
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ABOUT p m terrell
p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, a multi-award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than twenty books in five genres: contemporary suspense, historical suspense, romance, computer how-to and non-fiction.
Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence, themes that have carried forward to her suspense.
She is also the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She is the organizer and chairperson of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the real town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime. For more information on this event and the literacy campaigns funded by it, visit www.bookemnc.org.
p.m.terrell will be awarding a Celtic Butterfly Suncatcher similar to the one mentioned in the book, symbolizing both the never-ending cycle of life and the metamorphosis of a butterfly to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
**all images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
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Mr. Wonderful is working a Wahoos baseball game here in Pensacola, while I am watching Lavatrantula, blogging and playing some games on Facebook. We have a good life and truly appreciate where we are now. All our hard work is paying off.
During the Wahoo baseball games, they have quirky fun games to keep the kiddies happy, with some unlikely stars. Everyone begins early in the morning…
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FREE BOOKS
Still free at time of posting, but check for the “0”.
I subscribe to Julia Crane’s newsletter and this one was short and sweet.
I subscribe to Joanna Slan’s newsletter and she shared the following two freebies, A Kiki Lowenstein Christmas Anthology and Seaside Secrets by Cindy Bell.
Marily Peak announced in her newsletter that THE FISHERMAN’S SON TRILOGY is free for a limited time. Check out this children’s fantasy. I couldn’t resist, just by looking at the covers.
I spotted this gem on Alex J Cavanaugh’s twitter feed.
Then I hopped over to Katie Dolye’s website and grabbed the buy links.
A J Cosmo’s children’s books are amazing. The beautiful pictures will grab anyone’s attention and the lessons shown to the younger can still refresh the older…us.
I am behind on reviews, so I told myself, “Self, NO!”
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WINNINGS
I won both these books through Booklikes.
Thanks to Bird St Books and the author, Hope Chenk-de Michele, for a signed copy of Devil’s Daughter.
Thanks to Quirk Books and Mary Higgins Clark for my copy of Manhattan Mayhem.
I am so excited to have won the Circus Mirandis Giveaway from Penguin Random House and the author, Cassie Beasley.
Hardcover copy of Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley. The creative cover made to look like a bag of popcorn is so simple, yet intriguin…I love it. Check out the book itself, a white background, with colorful critters and so much more.
A poster announcing the opening date of the Circus.
A package of animal crackers.
An audiobook.
A bookmark.
How OVER THE TOP is that! So, let’s head to the circus, shall we?
I won the Kittens Can Kill Giveaway, which included this fantastic stack of novels. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and all the wonderful authors.
Titles are linked to Amazon. Authors are linked to Goodreads.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it..
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.
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I have tried to come up with a way to make things simpler for myself when it comes to choosing my next novel to share. This is what I have come up with.
I am starting with the first novel on *this* bookshelf and…
I bought this hardcover, first edition novel a while ago, can’t remember when. It was published in 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers. Designed by Nancy Singer Olaguerra. I love maps and Zorro includes one by Jan Adkins.
I wonder what would happen if Zorro and Robin Hood were to meet. 🙂
MY 56
The exploit of the beast, exaggerated and embellished to the point of impossibility, spread by word of mouth; with time, it crossed the Bering Strait, carried by traders in otter skins, and circulated as far away as Russia. Diego, Bernardo and Garcia were not excused from the whipping administered by their parents, but no one could contest their fame as champions.
(Page 56 in hardcover)
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In October, when the town was still talking about nothing else, they were attacked by pirates.
(Page 56 in hardcover)
BOOK BEGINNINGS
This is the story of Diego de la Vega and of how he became the legendary Zorro. At last I am able to reveal his identity, which for so many ears we kept secret, though I do so with some unease, since a blank page is more intimidating to me than the naked swords of Moncada’s men. With this document I intend to set the record straight before the slanderers who are determined to defame Zorro have their say…
SYNOPSIS
A swashbuckling adventure story that reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well. Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, Diego de la Vega is a child of two worlds. His father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior. At the age of sixteen, Diego is sent to Spain, a country chafing under the corruption of Napoleonic rule. He soon joins La Justicia, a secret underground resistance movement devoted to helping the powerless and the poor. Between the New World and the Old, the persona of Zorro is formed, a great hero is born, and the legend begins. After many adventures — duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates at sea, and impossible rescues — Diego de la Vega, a.k.a. Zorro, returns to America to reclaim the hacienda on which he was raised and to seek justice for all who cannot fight for it themselves.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the “magic realism” tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California with her husband. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003.
I love covers!
What do you think of the cover for Zorro by Isabel Allende?