Cover Reveal – Life After Death – Thereafter by Terri Bruce

Posted on March 4, 2014 by fundinmental

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I read Hereafter, Book I, and fell in love with Irene. I have been waiting for Thereafter and am very excited to be a part of this tour.

Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

Thereafter, Afterlife, Book 2 by Terri Bruce

Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal

Publisher: Mictlan Press

Date of Publication: May 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-2-5 (print) /

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-3-2 (ebook)

Number of pages: 318

Word Count: 99,000

Cover Artist: Artwork by Shelby Robinson;

Cover layout by Jennifer Stolzer

Book Description

When recently-deceased Irene Dunphy decided to “follow the light,” she thought she’d end up in Heaven or Hell and her journey would be over.

Boy, was she wrong.

She soon finds that “the other side” isn’t a final destination but a kind of purgatory where billions of spirits are stuck, with no way to move forward or back. Even worse, deranged phantoms known as “Hungry Ghosts” stalk the dead, intent on destroying them. The only way out is for Irene to forget her life on earth—including the boy who risked everything to help her cross over—which she’s not about to do.

As Irene desperately searches for an alternative, help unexpectedly comes in the unlikeliest of forms: a twelfth-century Spanish knight and a nineteenth-century American cowboy. Even more surprising, one offers a chance for redemption; the other, love. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to have either if she can’t find a way to escape the hellish limbo where they’re all trapped.

Author’s Note

I am THRILLED beyond all measure to finally be able to bring you Thereafter, and I want to thank all the fans who have waited (more or less patiently) an extra year for this book to finally come out. Thereafter would not have been possible without your support—thank you all! I hope you love this beautiful new cover as much as I do, and I hope you find Thereafter to be worth the wait.

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EXCERPT

Her hand touched a rock, one of the flat beach stones she’d seen on graves. She picked it up, laying it flat in her palm. She didn’t remember picking this up. In fact, she had been careful not to take any. It had seemed disrespectful and too much like stealing to remove them, and while she’d seen a few here—both loose and piled in cairns—she hadn’t picked any of them up. There had been no point. What would she do with a rock?

No wonder her bag was so heavy.

She tossed the rock over her shoulder and heard it hit the ground with a satisfying thud some distance away. It felt good to be rid of something, to make a decision and be sure it was the right one.

She surveyed the pile again and then grabbed a small handful of paper animals. She picked one up between a finger and thumb. It was a horse. Irene had been in Chinatown during Chinese Ghost Festival, a holiday in which the living left offerings for the dead. These offerings included paper replicas of things people thought the dead would need in the afterlife—money, clothes, television sets, and even animals. Irene had admired the precise and delicate folds of the Origami figures and had picked some up to admire them more closely. Without thinking, she had dropped them into her bag and apparently been carrying them ever since.

Well, even Jonah couldn’t argue with her on this—there was no way she was going to need a paper horse on her journey through the afterlife. Plus, these didn’t hold any sentimental value. She cast the horse onto a nearby fire and watched as the paper curled and blackened in the low-burning flames.

The fire leapt and seemed to glow blue for a moment. Irene tensed—what was happening?

Thick black smoke began to rise slowly from the flames, spiraling upward in a thickening column. The smoke grew denser and then elongated sideways. Irene leapt to her feet and backed away, her heart pounding. Something was forming in the fire.

The smoke was taking shape now; there was purpose and design in its movements. She could see a long, horizontal back, four legs, a neck, and finally a head and a tail. The smoke swirled with a final flourish and then shuddered into the solidity of a smoke-colored horse. The animal blinked passively. Then it violently shook its head, blew out a breath, and delicately picked its way forward out of the fire. It immediately put its head down and began to lip the ground, looking for food.

Irene stared stupidly at it. “Are you shitting me?”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats.

Website/Blog / Goodreads Profile / Facebook Fan Page

Twitter / Amazon Author Page

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Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

To get your copy of Hereafter or learn more about Terri Bruce, click on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

1 $25 Amazon gift card

5 Thereafter swag packs –open to US Shipping

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dragonfly has taken flight!

Posted on March 2, 2014 by fundinmental

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Dragonfly by Charles A. Cornell is scheduled to take flight on Sunday, March 2nd and all of you can book a seat!

It will be available for purchase and everyone can enter this dieselpunk world.

I was a beta reader for Dragonfly and had a thrilling time being a part of this project. Unlike anything I’ve read before!

For your viewing pleasure I have the three cover designs for this adventure to show you.

Charles will be publishing the story three ways:

1) Part I – the first half of the book with a few illustrations… ebook price will be $1.99 but regularly discounted to $0.99 or Free!

AMAZON

2) Part II – the second half with a few more photos… Price $2.99

AMAZON

3) DragonFly (The Illustrated Edition)… Parts I & II with 30 color and 30 B&W illustrations… introductory price of $4.99

AMAZON

So the best deal is to buy DragonFly fully illustrated after receiving Part I for free to try it out.

Sunday March 2 is Launch Day for all of them to be published and for his new website launch. Charles will be blitzing all the social media so your support is much appreciated to share, retweet, etc. He’ll be on Facebook and Twitter and has DragonFly boards on Pinterest. And he plans to serialize Part I on Wattpad.

A brief Description I’m allowed to reveal!

RAF pilot Veronica Somerset has the destiny of her nation in her hands. She’s young, vulnerable and all woman. But inside the cockpit of DragonFly… a plane designed by science and fueled by magic… she’s a hard-nosed, quick-thinking daredevil who has all the right stuff. Strap yourself in for a wild ride in award-winning author Charles A. Cornell’s dieselpunk adventure, DragonFly: a World War re-imagined like never before.

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So there you have it folks. Mark your calendar and be sure to grab your copy!

I’ve provided the Amazon purchase links and will add more links as they become available.

Also, I have the link to Charles new website just for Dragonfly and information on how to request your illustrated copy for reviewing!

Anyone who would like a copy of the fully illustrated Dragonfly (must be willing to post reviews on Amazon & GoodReads) can send Charles a note with the email address that he will need to use to ‘gift’ you a copy to ARC(at)Dragonfly(Dash)Novels(dot)com.

Also there will be a signup box for this email account on the new website, so hop on over and take a look around there too and signup right there. The website will come ‘live’ at 12 noon. http://www.dragonfly-novels.com/

And Charles will be ‘blogging’ on Facebook and Twitter all day and would love questions! Let’s get a conversation going!

www.Facebook.com/DragonflySquadron

www.twitter.com/CharlesACornell

For more about Charles:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Pot of Gold Giveaway – Kindle, Gift Cards & More

Posted on March 2, 2014 by fundinmental

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May the Luck of the Irish be with you!

Darkly Delicious YA is a collective of twenty-one traditionally published authors who are passionate about writing suspenseful, intriguing novels for teens and adults.

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http://www.darklydeliciousya.com/

To help gain exposure they are putting together a HUGE Kindle Fire Giveaway, and are looking for some bloggers who are willing post the giveaway when it’s all ready! This is just like a book blast, or a Giveaway Hop (with out the hop!) we give you the info to post, and that’s it. Simple!They are currently gathering authors to join in, while we gather the hosts. This Kindle Fire will be loaded with books from DOZENS AND DOZENS of authors. If you sign up to post, you can also enter! *wink* Authors signed on so far:
Cherie Colyer (Founder of DDYA)
Kym Brunner (Founder of DDYA)
Kristi Helvig
Carol Oates
Kate Evangelista
Dorothy Dreyer
Katie O’Sullivan
Kelly Hashway
Shawna Romkey
Heather L Reid
+ More coming in every day!

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A
big thank you goes out to all the authors and bloggers who helped make
this event possible!

“LUCK MAITH” to you all!

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is it the End of the World – Shattered Worlds Boxed Set

Posted on March 2, 2014 by fundinmental

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The cover of Shattered Worlds gives you an idea of the world ending books contained within this collection.

Shattered Worlds by Boxed Set
Publication date: February 26th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

Read these bestselling tales of survival against the odds, dark worlds, dystopian regimes and heroic rebels.

Shattered Worlds features six full-length novels from bestselling authors. Immerse yourself in post-apocalyptic civilizations and bleak near-futures where hope still lives.

Featured authors and books are:

Elle Casey: Apocalypsis
Shalini Boland: Outside
Zoe Cannon: The Torturer’s Daughter
Scott Cramer: Night of the Purple Moon
Sarah Dalton: The Blemished
Katie French: The Breeders

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

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Kahayatle (Apocalypsis #1) by Elle Casey

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

My name’s Bryn Mathis. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I’m almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day.

It’s time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won’t be able to find me.

Alone, it might have been possible; but now I’ve got company. I’m worried that I don’t have what it takes to get from here to my final destination.

And I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

Elle Casey is a full-time writer of New Adult and Young Adult titles in several genres, including romance, urban fantasy, sci-fi dystopian, and action-adventure. She’s an American girl who’s been living in southern France with her husband and three children since 2010. She loves chatting with her readers, so feel free to drop her a line.
You can find her on Facebook or on her website.

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Outside (Outside #1) by Shalini Boland
A post-apocalyptic romance thriller.

The world of the future is divided by Perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. If you’re inside you’re lucky, if you’re outside life expectancy takes a nose dive.

Riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. But her life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through the Perimeter and murders her sister. She forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. Luc decides to go with her otherwise she’ll be dead before she’s past the security gate. But what awaits her outside is more unbelievable than she ever expected.

Cut to the present day where Eleanor’s world is falling apart. This time next year, civilisation won’t be quite so civilised . . .

Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before children, she was signed to Universal Music as a singer songwriter. Now, writing novels has hijacked her life and she is usually to be found with a laptop welded to her fingers and the house in a permanent state of neglect.
Find Shalini at: http://www.shaliniboland.co.uk

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The Torturer’s Daughter by Zoe Cannon

When her best friend Heather calls in the middle of the night, Becca Dalcourt assumes it’s the usual drama. Wrong. Heather’s parents have been arrested as dissidents – and Becca’s mother, the dystopian regime’s most infamous torturer, has already executed them for their crimes against the state.

To stop Heather from getting herself killed trying to prove her parents’ innocence, Becca hunts for proof of their guilt. She doesn’t expect to find evidence that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about the dissidents… and about her mother.

When she risks her life to save a dissident, she learns her mother isn’t the only one with secrets – and the plot she uncovers will threaten the lives of the people she loves most. For Becca, it’s no longer just a choice between risking execution and ignoring the regime’s crimes; she has to decide whose life to save and whose to sacrifice.

It’s easy to be a hero when you can save the world, but what about when all you can do is choose how you live in it? An Amazon dystopian bestseller, The Torturer’s Daughter is a story about ordinary life amidst the realities of living under an oppressive regime… and the extraordinary courage it takes to do what’s right in a world gone wrong.

Zoe Cannon writes about the things that fascinate her: outsiders, societies no sane person would want to live in, questions with no easy answers, and the inner workings of the mind. If she couldn’t be a writer, she would probably be a psychologist, a penniless philosopher, or a hermit in a cave somewhere. While she’ll read anything that isn’t nailed down, she considers herself a YA reader and writer at heart. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and a giant teddy bear of a dog, and spends entirely too much time on the internet.
Find Zoe at: http://www.zoecannon.com

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Night of the Purple Moon (The Tucan Trilogy #1) by Scott Cramer

Abby, 13, is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple, unaware that deadly bacteria from a passing comet will soon kill off older teens and adults. She must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her–adolescence.

Scott Cramer has written feature articles for national magazines, covered school committee meetings for a local newspaper, published haiku and poetry, optioned a screenplay, and worked in high-tech marketing communications. His pursuit of a good story has put him behind the stick of an F-18, flying a Navy Blue Angels’ fighter jet, and he has trekked through the Peruvian mountains in search of an ancient Quechua festival featuring a condor. Scott and his wife have two daughters and reside outside Lowell, Massachusetts (birthplace of Jack Kerouac) in an empty nest/zoo/suburban farm/art studio with too many surfboards in the garage. Find Scott at: http://www.facebook.com/authorscottcramer

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The Blemished (Blemished #1) by Sarah Dalton
A beautiful world comes at a price…

In a world filled with stunning clones Mina Hart is Blemished. Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.

Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude’s School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…

The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.

Book one in the popular YA dystopia series ‘Blemished’.

Sarah Dalton grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.
She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series ‘Blemished’ and the gothic novella ‘My Daylight Monsters’. She is currently working on a YA Fantasy series titled ‘White Hart’.
Find Sarah at: http://sarahdaltonbooks.com/

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The Breeders (Breeders #1) by Katie French

“When the Breeders come for ya, there ain’t no escape. They strap ya to a bed and all ya hear is the thud of your heart and the cries of your friends as they wheel ya down to hell. Then the doctors come. You squeeze your eyes shut and pray you can forget. But ya never do.”

Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world’s last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches– moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders’ long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society. And they’re hunting Riley.

When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender– a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley’s affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?

The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico– escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is forced into the Breeder’s hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she’ll share unless she can find a way out.

Katie French imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher. In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. Though her social life suffered, her love for literature thrived. She studied English at Eastern Michigan University, where she veered from writing and earned an education degree. She spent nine years teaching high school English. Currently she is a school counselor, doing a job that is both one of the hardest things she’s ever done and the most rewarding. In her free time she writes, reads great books and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She is a contributor and co-creator of Underground Book Reviews, a website dedicated to erasing the boundaries between traditional and non-traditional publishing. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.
You can find her at www.katiefrenchbooks.com.

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GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway

3 Prizes – Open Internationally

-60$ Amazon card + ebooks from all the authors

-eBooks from all the authors

-Sequels of the books featured in Shattered Worlds

This giveaway is set and managed by the authors.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Blast Giveaway – Fathoms of Forgiveness by Nadia Scrieva

Posted on February 28, 2014 by fundinmental

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Mermaids in Fathoms of Forgiveness by Nadia Scrieva. I love mermaids so I wanted to share this series with you.

So…let’s dive right in and see what’s happening with Visola.

Fathoms of Forgiveness by Nadia Scrieva

BLURB

Meet the brave and fearless Visola; a woman unlike any you’ve ever encountered. Her wit and humor take her through the darkest of dangers with a smile always on her face–and her smile only grows larger as the odds become more impossible. With no concern for her own safety, Visola dives headfirst into the throes of battle to protect the people and country she loves, even if it means facing her worst enemy–the one man who can get inside her head and break her down like no other: her own husband…

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Apple / Smashwords / Google Play

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EXCERPT

When Visola awoke, she realized with a start that she was not alone. The warmth of another body so close to hers had made her sticky and uncomfortable, and she was quite sure that it was not a puppy cuddled up against her back. No, as advertised, it was one of Aazuria’s half-naked, well-muscled, exotic men indigenous to the Southern Continent. She groaned, and slammed her elbow backwards into the man’s stomach, shoving him away from her with disgust. He hit the floor with a loud crash and an oof as the wind was knocked out of him. At least I have a story to tell Sionna when we get home, she thought to herself. She snuggled back down happily between the sheets. Then it occurred to her that she was no longer on the beach.

He hit the floor? Visola frowned and opened her eyes. She saw the wooden patterning of her bedroom wall on the ship. This confused her as she had not remembered returning to the boat. She had brought a Yawkyawk man back to the ship? What had she been thinking? What about Aazuria? Visola was reminded of the fact that she should never party, because she always partied too hard. Was it really worth ruining days or weeks of her life over one night of pleasure? Pleasure that she could not even remember, for that matter.

The man she had accidentally shoved off her bed made a grunting noise. She turned over to face him, and propped herself up on her elbow so that she could speak to him in sign language.

“Please leave my room immediately,” she told him. Even as she commanded this, she observed his features and physique. He was wearing trousers, but unclothed from the waist up; she was surprised by her evidently impressive subconscious taste. She kept her face stern, and did not betray that she found his appearance pleasing. “I was drugged last night, and I apologize for anything I said or did, but I do not remember any of it, and I did not mean any of it. You must leave immediately or I will employ force to remove you from my quarters.”

The man rubbed his head where he had hit it on the floor. “God almighty, are you always this grumpy in the morning?”

“I am not gru…” Visola froze. He had spoken in English. With a thick British accent. She noticed his fair skin and precisely groomed black hair which was swept back into a small curled tail. “You are not a Yawkyawk man,” she said slowly.

“No,” he said, yawning.

“You’re King Kyrosed’s new advisor.”

He nodded, closing his eyes and stretching sleepily. “I tried to explain that to you last night, but you were convinced that I was a bird.”

“You swine!” she yelled. She pounced on the man, and punched him in the face viciously. “You scoundrel!”

“Now hold on a moment,” he said, grabbing her wrists. He was surprised to find that he could not easily subdue her. “You’re being a tad judgmental.”

Visola straddled him and forced his hands above his head, pinning them there with one hand before punching him in the face again. “I was delirious! I was drugged! I expect you to know better—you are civilized!”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nadia Scrieva lives in Toronto, Canada with no husband, no kids, and no pets. She does own a very attractive houseplant which she occasionally remembers to water between her all-consuming writing marathons.

Stalking Info for Nadia Scrieva

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Blog

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To get your copy of Fathoms of Forgiveness or another Sacred Breath novel by Nadia Scrieva, click on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

Nadia will be awarding the box set of Sacred Breath Series or the box set of Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak (winner’s choice)to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found by clicking on the image below:

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Blitz Giveaway – Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison

Posted on February 27, 2014 by fundinmental

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The title, Of Sea and Stone, caught my attention first. I love anything to do with the Sea, so I had to find out what this novel is about.

The beautiful cover and Itlantis has me very curious, how about you?

Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison
Publication date: February 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

All her life, clever Aemi has been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those stories were true.

When a ship emerges from the ocean and men burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal, floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household beneath the sea.

Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape, even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble

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INTERVIEW WITH KATE AVERY ELLISON

Describe Of Sea and Stone in six words.

Atlantis, steampunk, sunlight, seawater, secrets, romance.

What books have you read and loved lately?

I am almost finished with Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, and it’s an absolute delight. Witty, immersive, and utterly compelling fantasy that reminds me very much of my beloved Megan Whalen Turner books.

Ice cream or cake?

Ice cream cake, of course! It’s the best of both worlds.

What authors have influenced your writing style the most?

I grew up on a pretty steady diet of mystery, actually, so I feel like classic mystery authors like Agatha Christie had a strong influence on me. When I was a teenager, I started reading fantasy by authors like Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, and Sherwood Smith. The Blue Sword, Ella Enchanted, Crown Duel…I loved those books. I also had a huge love of historical fiction, so Ann Rinaldi, Elizabeth George Speare, and Eloise Jarvis McGraw influenced me a lot as well. As far as more recently-written books that I didn’t grow up reading, I continue to be an awe of fantasy authors Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, etc.) and Melina Marchetta (Finnikin of the Rock), dystopian author Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), and contemporary young adult authors Lucy Christopher (Stolen) and John Green (A Fault in Our Stars).

If you had to pick a shoe that represented your writing style, what would it be?

Have you seen those canvas shoes where an artist has drawn original artwork on the front and sides and is selling them online? I think my books are like that—in some ways they feel familiar, but they have their own surprises and twists that make them unique.

Who has been the most supportive person in your writing career?

My husband. About two years into trying to get published, I was ready to give up on my stories and get a job doing something tremendously ill-suited for me, like being a secretary (I am a very bad secretary. Very disorganized). He convinced me to give it more time, and he is probably the sole reason I am published today. He is my first reader, my strongest encourager, and my most reliable critic.

Are you working on anything else currently?

Yes! I’m currently hard at work on the second book in the Secrets of Itlantis series, and I’m also working on a few secret projects on the side—one is a more traditional fantasy, another is a post-apocalyptic novel. I hope to have more details about them for my readers very soon.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I live in Georgia with my wonderful husband and two spoiled cats. When I’m not writing, I’m usually catching up on my extensive Netflix queue, reading a book, giggling at something funny online, or trying to convince my husband to give me just ONE bite of whatever he’s eating.

Learn more about my writing and books at my blog (http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/), find teasers for upcoming works on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/kateaveryellison), and subscribe to my new releases newsletter to be notified of new novels as soon as they hit stores (https://tinyletter.com/kateaveryellison)!

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You can get your copy Of Sea and Stone or learn more about Kate Avery Ellison by clicking on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway

-$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Navy Seals Uncovered – Sealed With a Kiss Giveaway

Posted on February 26, 2014 by fundinmental

SEALed WITH A KISS Box Set

Anthology of 8 Navy SEAL novellas by New York Times, USA Today and award-winning bestselling authors: Marliss Melton, Gennita Low, Teresa Reasor, Elle James, Delilah Devlin, Stephanie Tyler, J.M. Madden and Sharon Hamilton

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CODE OF SILENCEby Award-winning Internationally Bestselling author Marliss Melton:

Navy SEAL Vinny DeInnocentis has no idea his news reporter wife is keeping secrets. With her hard-won reputation for rooting out corruption, Ophelia can’t let a little thing like her unexpected pregnancy get in the way of exposing Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor for the liar he is. But will her quest to publicize the truth — and her shocking discovery that her target is far more dangerous than she imagined — cost her more than she ever thought she’d lose?

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SEAL MY DESTINY by New York Times and USA/Today Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton:

Back from a horrible tour, Navy SEAL Luke Paulsen has a chance encounter with a woman who begins to unthaw his troubled soul. Deciding he’s too damaged, he begs off further entanglement, but then meets her again a month later at a family wedding, where the unavoidable attraction pulls them together as never before. Will their love be enough to heal them both for a chance at a Happily Ever After?

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HOLDING ON by New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler:

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(a novella set in the Hold series – originally published in SEAL of My Dreams altho) Jamie Michaels is an FBI Agent, married to a Navy SEAL…and about to give birth while her husband’s deployed. Navy SEAL Chris Waldron’s been on some impossible missions before, but getting home in time for the birth of his son might prove to be the toughest–and most rewarding mission of all.

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WARRIOR by Bestselling author Gennita Low:

On a covert operation with his SEAL team, Lucas Branson bumps into his love interest, Kit Ling Harrison, who is overseas with her media team interviewing victims of war. Things get interesting when he and Kit end up on an unexpected road trip. Chasing vehicles, avoiding RPGs, singing silly songs, and falling in love ensue.

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SEAL’s DESIRE by USA Today Bestselling author Elle James:

Back from deployment, Navy SEAL Remy LaDue’s planned Valentine’s Day date with NCIS agent Mitchell Sanders runs amuck when he finds her undercover as a sexy stripper at a local lounge. Remy and his team join forces with Mitchell to find a missing woman and discover a human trafficking organization in the darkest heart of Virginia Beach.

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SEAL’s LOST DREAM by USA Today Bestselling author JM Madden

Former Navy SEAL K9 handler Joe Flynn lost his dog in the war and doesn’t want anything to do with animals, but every stray in Denver seems to head his way. Luckily for him, the luscious veterinarian Willow James doesn’t mind taking care of everything he finds. She even seems willing to take him on with all his ghosts, but is he ready to let them go for her?

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BREAKING FREE by Bestselling author Teresa Reasor

When her brother Brett is attacked and left for dead, Zoe Weaver and Lieutenant Adam ‘Hawk’ Yazzie work together to discover if one of his SEAL teammates is responsible for his injuries. But will loyalties forged on the battlefield prove more binding than the truth? Or their love?

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MUTINY’S BOUNTY by USA Today Bestselling author Delilah Devlin:

Interested only in experiencing an adrenaline-packed adventure first-hand to give her credo when she books her clients’ adventure vacations, Lace McElhannon finds more excitement than she can handle when she meets and falls into bed with ex-SEAL Dex Haygood. Fresh from protecting transport ships from Somali pirates, Dex figures his latest job will be a cakewalk, until he finds himself in deep water, swimming with sharks and trying to protect Lace when the yacht they’re sailing on is taken.

SEALed WITH A KISS Box Set – AVAILABLE NOW FOR ONLY $0.99

Kindle / Nook / Kobo

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Marliss Melton: My greatest blessing was to grow up overseas without any television time. Sure, I missed out on The Waltons and Saturday morning cartoons, but how many kids get to ride on the back of an elephant, eat candied ants, visit every museum and chateaux in Paris, or track tigers in northern Thailand? As the youngest of four daughters, I had the example of my brilliant sisters, who read voraciously, and I bypassed Nancy Drew to read every book in the Hardy Boys series. (That was the first indication of my fascination for male heroes). By the sixth grade, I’d discovered Victoria Holt and moved back to the United States . I wrote my first book—a wretched historical novel—when I was thirteen. Two teenage years in Houston, Texas, saw me reading Harlequin romances and writing several more books.

I’ve always been an over-achiever, with so many interests it was frustrating to have to choose just one career. I could have been an opera singer—but no. I excelled in language and for many years taught high school English, Spanish, and then Linguistics at the College of William and Mary, my alma mater.

But my first love, writing romance, remained a dream for decades. I wrote throughout my twenties and early thirties, completing more manuscripts, getting really serious with agents and publishers, etc. Danger’s Promise, a medieval romance, was finally published in 2002, becoming a RITA finalist for Best First Book. Since then, I’ve discovered that military romance is my best fit. I’ve been the wife of an Army officer, who died young, and my husband now is retired Navy.

My personal life is frankly hectic. We have six children between us, ranging in age from 8 years to 24 years old. Most of “the olders” still have one foot in the nest. But I always find time for my loyal readers, so feel free to introduce yourself to me, as I have to you.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Sharon Hamilton: Sharon’s award-winning almost-erotic Navy SEAL stories of the SEAL Brotherhood, have consistently made best sellers lists and review sites. Her characters follow a spicy road to redemption through passion and true love.

Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany are not like any vamps you’ve read before, since they don’t have to go to ground and can walk around in the full light of the sun.

Her Guardian Angels struggle with the human charges they are sent to save, often escaping their vanilla world of Heaven for the brief human one. You won’t find any of these beings in any Sunday school class.

She lives in Sonoma County, California with her husband, and two Dobermans. A lifelong organic gardener, when she’s not writing, she’s getting vera vera dirty in the mud, or wandering Farmer’s Markets looking for new Heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Stephanie Tyler: New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler writes what she loves to read – romantic suspense novels starring military heroes and paranormal romance novels novels starring warrior heroes, all complete with happy endings. She also co-writes as Sydney Croft. She lives in New York with her husband, her kids and her crazy Weimaraner, Gus.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Elle James: Elle was born on Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, Washington to parents who taught her the value of hard work. She grew up as a military brat moving from place to place, alas, only stateside in lovely places like Glasgow, Montana, Abilene, Texas and various places in California and Washington.Elle got her creative streak from her talented artist mother, her tenacity from her wonderful father and her inspiration from her writing buddy and delightful sister, Delilah Devlin.

In 2004, Elle left her successful career as an Information Technology Manager to pursue writing full time. She loves escaping into her stories, learning and growing with each character and plot. She writes because she likes to experience and evoke all the emotions from happy to sad, funny to frightening. She digs them all!

At home in Northwest Arkansas, Elle is busy writing tales of murder and suspense for Harlequin Intrigue. Her first Harlequin, BENEATH THE TEXAS MOON, was released in March 2006 and was a Romantic Times Top Pick for the month! She ‘s written numerous Intrigues since and is now writing for Harlequin Nocturne as well. Stay tuned for more from Elle James!

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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JM Madden: I am a wife and mother of two. I am a stay at home writer, which I dearly love, and I recently added the title USA Today Bestselling author to my moniker.

I was a Deputy Sheriff in Ohio for nine years, and I found myself tapping that experience as I wrote Second Time Around, my very first book. No, I didn’t tackle and cuff my husband, although there was that time in K-mart… Anyway, it was quite a change going from writing technical reports with diagrams, witness statements, inventories, etc., that would stand up in court to writing contemporary romance. I’ve always written, though, and it was always a dream to do something with that huge, leaning stack of spiral bound notebooks.

I’ve now published 13 books, with many more on the way. I thank you so much for taking an interest in my work!

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Gennita Low: Jenn, as everyone calls her, likes to keep things simple. That’s why she runs a roofing construction business, teaches, writes and does her own business taxes eight days a week. She considers herself a multi-cultural and well-rounded person. Workers leave her alone when she starts yelling at them in Chinese and Malay. She also studies German and Russian because she can’t pronounce French very well. The most boring and interesting thing she ever did was translating documents from various languages into English, giving her an opportunity to see many countries. Having traveled extensively in her twenties, she now spends her thirties quietly with six noisy dogs.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Teresa Reasor: My name is Teresa Reasor. My husband, Danny, and I have been married for thirty-eight years. We have three grown children and now have a new son-in-law and a new daughter-in-law.

I’m a writer, an artist, a teacher and I also sing.

I’ve retired from my full time position as a primary art teacher after 21 and 1/2 years. I’ve retired from my position as an adjunct professor after 10 years.

I have a Masters Degree in Education and am certified in Art Education K-12 and9-12 in English. I’m a member of I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, KOD the Mystery Suspense chapter of RWA, the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers, Celtic Hearts, and Hearts Through History Romance Writers. I’ve served for four years as Treasurer of the Kentucky Romance Writers and two years as President.

I’m also the Treasurer for the Mountain Heritage Artisans Guild. And have prints and original art work that I do and sell.

My hobbies include writing, painting, singing, crocheting, quilling, making cards, and traveling.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Delilah Devlin: Until recently, award-winning romance author Delilah Devlin lived in South Texas at the intersection of two dry creeks, surrounded by sexy cowboys in Wranglers. These days, she’s missing the wide-open skies and starry nights but loving her dark forest in Central Arkansas, with its eccentric characters and isolation—the better to feed her hungry muse!

For Delilah, the greatest sin is driving between the lines, because it’s comfortable and safe. Her personal journey has taken her through one war and many countries, cultures, jobs, and relationships to bring her to the place where she is now—writing sexy adventures that hold more than a kernel of autobiography and often share a common thread of self-discovery and transformation.

Delilah Devlin is a prolific and award-winning author of erotica and erotic romance with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive historical stories that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” (Paranormal Reviews) Ms. Devlin has published over 100 erotic stories in multiple genres and lengths.

She is published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Harlequin Spice, Kensington, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY

GRAND PRIZE: a book bag with books and swag

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Giveaway Tour for The Greatest Sin: The Fallen

Posted on February 26, 2014 by fundinmental

I have seen Throw the Bones around and I fell in love with the intriguing cover.

They travel in wagons and each wagon carries secrets….read on to learn more.

No one keeps secrets from her…

The Fallen

by Lee French and Erik Kort

Publication Date: January 26, 2014

Series: The Greatest Sin #1

Genre: Fantasy

For hundreds of years, the Blaukenev clan has wandered across Tilzam, from one end to the other and back. Each wagon carries history, love, laughter, pain, sorrow, and secrets. Their greatest secret of all may be Chavali, the clan Seer.

Spirits

claim

use

save

damn her.

With her gift/curse, nothing surprises her anymore, no one keeps secrets from her. She, on the other hand, has more than enough secrets to keep. Secrets of her own, secrets of her clan, secrets of the world, secrets she even keeps from herself.

There are always people who want secrets.

Some will do anything to get what they want.

The Fallen is the foundation of the story of The Greatest Sin, of a world adrift from its God that desperately wants Her back. Chavali’s comfortable, predictable life will be ripped apart and burnt to ashes as she’s forced into the middle of that struggle. Change, she hates it passionately. It hates her right back.

Amazon | Goodreads

About Lee French and Erik Kort

Lee French lives in Worcester, MA with two kids, two mice, two bicycles, and too much stuff. She is an avid gamer and active member of the Myth-Weavers online RPG community, where she is known for her fondness for Angry Ninja Squirrels of Doom. In addition to spending much time there, she also trains year-round for the one-week of glorious madness that is RAGBRAI, has a nice flower garden with absolutely no lawn gnomes, and tries in vain every year to grow vegetables that don’t get devoured by neighborhood wildlife.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Erik Kort abides in the glorious Pacific Northwest, otherwise known as Mirkwood-Without-The-Giant-Spiders. Though the spiders often grow too numerous for his comfort. He is defended from all eight-legged threats by his brave and overly tolerant wife, and is mocked by his obligatory writer’s cat. When not writing, Erik comforts the elderly, guides youths through vast wildernesses, and smuggles more books into his library of increasingly alarming size.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway!

$25 Gift Card or

$25 Paypal

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Ends March 7, 2014

To get your copy of The Greatest Sin: The Fallen or to learn more about the authors, click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Blast Giveaway – Bob at the Lake by R Murphy

Posted on February 25, 2014 by fundinmental

BLURB

Take a crabby woman of a certain age, move her to the wintry shores of a New York lake, and then throw in a martini-loving ghost from 1920s Manhattan. Last, stir in the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill. Now there’s a recipe for a potent screwball cocktail!

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EXCERPT

“Trust me, it will hit you like a brick of gold.”

That’s Bob. He’s my ghost. Well, not my ghost since I’m sitting here writing, but the ghost who lives with me. Other women probably get muscleman ghosts who can fix plumbing and take out the garbage, or romantic ghosts who set their hearts a-flutter. Me, I get a ghost who’s middle-aged, plump, and who likes to lounge around the house in a silk smoking jacket from the nineteen-thirties. Not exactly the kind of ghost I’d ever imagined I’d get. I will admit, though, that Bob does make an amazing martini. A martini that, in fact, hits you like a brick of gold.

I found, unfortunately, the longer Bob lived at my place, the more I appreciated his skill with martinis. Which was probably not a great thing for my liver, or my relationships with my sisters, but what the heck.

Remember the Great Recession? According to the newspapers, some consumers seem to be wiping it from their memories, but it had a big impact on a lot of people, including me. That economy hurt. Lost jobs, lost houses, lost marriages, lost hopes—lives turned upside down in the flutter of a pink slip. People scrambling just to keep from drowning—couch surfing, penny pinching, living newly frugal lives.

Like millions of others, the economy sucked me into its undertow…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Roz Murphy is the pseudonym of a shy, retiring writer who doesn’t want her neighbors to know how nutty she really is. Brooklyn-born and Jersey-bred, Roz now lives on the misty shore of one of New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes. Prior to that, her business writing career took her to many locations, including Manhattan, where she worked for a number of years. As a freelance and corporate writer, Roz won several national and international writing and communications awards.

Now Roz is pursuing her first love—fiction. She’s writing the ‘Bob’ books, the humorous chronicle of a crabby ‘woman of a certain age’ who moves to the wintry shores of a New York lake—and gets a ghost. And not just any ghost, mind you. Bob’s a plump, middle-aged ghost from 1920s Manhattan who swans around in a silk smoking jacket and drinks far too many martinis. Stir the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill into this mix and you get a pretty potent screwball cocktail!

When she’s not reading, writing, hill-walking, staring mindlessly out the window at the lake or piling rocks onto her ever-diminishing lakefront, you can usually find Roz hanging out with her family, travelling, or exploring the amazing wines and wineries of the Finger Lakes.

‘Bob at the Lake’ is exclusively available as a Kindle download from Amazon. Please join Roz Murphy Author on FaceBook for updates on the many adventures of Roz, David—and Bob.

Amazon / Facebook

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To grab your copy of Bob at the Lake or to learn more about R Murphy, click on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Release Day Giveaway – The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Posted on February 25, 2014 by fundinmental

The Chase has an intriguing cover that has me puzzled.

I am a huge fan of Janet Evanovich and will read anything she writes. I am not familiar with Lee Goldberg, but I will definitely be checking him out.

So, let’s investigate further and be sure to enter the great giveaway.

THE CHASE by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Bantam – Random House

On sale: February 25, 2014

978-0-345-54308-0

THE CHASE at your favorite retailers

SYNOPSIS

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling authors of The Heist, return in this action-packed, exciting adventure featuring master con artist Nicolas Fox and die-hard FBI agent Kate O’Hare. And this time around, things go from hot to nuclear when government secrets are on the line.

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

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ABOUT JANET EVANOVICH

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

ABOUT LEE GOLDBERG

Lee Goldberg is a screenwriter, TV producer, and the author of several books, including King City, The Walk, and the bestselling Monk series of mysteries. He has earned two Edgar Award nominations and was the 2012 recipient of the Poirot Award from Malice Domestic.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google +

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To get your copy of The Chase or learn more about Janet Evanovich, click on the cover below.