Dark and Dangerous – Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff @AlexSokoloff

Posted on December 7, 2017 by fundinmental

Alexandra Sokoloff has blown me away, with her Huntress/FBI Thriller Series. Huntress Moon, Book I (see my review here) continues through Blood Moon, Book II (see my review here) and I am unable to stop reading. It’s like Lays Potato Chips…you can’t eat just one. Well, I couldn’t read just one. I went through Book II, III and IV on a binge read. And…I see there is a Book V, Hunger Moon, and I aim to get my hands on that one too.

The covers are awesome and kudos to the designers. Cold Moon is done by…

Inkd

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

After reading Blood Moon, Book II, by Alexandra Sokoloff, there was no way I could stop. I kept on reading through Cold Moon and Bitter Moon. Now I see we have Hunger Moon, which would be Book V, and I will jump through hoops to get my hands on it.

The moon talks to Cara. Does it talk to you? What does it say?

We begin with Roarke’s nightmare, waking him. Cara…

She faces her own terror in the night, but vows IT will never take her.

“Fair as the moon and cold as ice.”

Roark’s team functions like a well oiled machine, even when personalities occasionally clash and opinions differ. They always get their ‘man’.

Cold Moon takes an even closer look into the depraved, the abused, the lost and those who care about them. Human trafficking of women and children, enslaved in prostitution, bought and sold, used and abused. Who will stand up for them, defend them, save them?

How can an online presence affect people, politics, legalities, courts…The anonymity of cyber activism.

I do not want to spoil any of the goodies contained in Cold Moon, the third book of Cara and Roarke’s story, so I will just throw out some hints and ask you…what would you do?

Evil…can you see it, smell it, touch it, feel it? Is it alive? Do you do something about it yourself?

Is it self defense, if you know evil is coming your way, and you take it out first?

My emotions are raging in anger and disgust. I know this goes on, day in and day out, and I wonder if those who, in real life, try to stem the flow of evil feel it is too big, there are too many. One by one they WILL fall.

“There is something larger at work…a force beyond the simply human. A female vengeance against outrages.” Santa Muerte

“Sometimes death for one is salvation for another.”

I love the dark and dangerous, unique and original, direction Alexandrar Sokoloff takes in this story. I am afraid to google some of the online forums she talks about. I am afraid of what I will find out. Will evil know I am looking and come for me? She continues to thrill and amaze me, disgust and frighten me, leaving me ALWAYS wanting more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The hunt for mass murderer Cara Lindstrom is over. FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke has been working for this moment: the capture of a killer who savagely hunts the worst of humanity. But Roarke remains traumatized by his own near-death at the hands of the serial killer who slaughtered Cara’s family…and haunted by the enigmatic woman who saved his life.

Then the sixteen-year-old prostitute who witnessed Cara’s most recent murder goes missing, and suddenly pimps are turning up dead on the streets of San Francisco, killed with an MO eerily similar to Cara’s handiwork.

Is a new killer on the loose with a mission even more deadly than hers? In the pulse-pounding third Huntress/FBI Thrillers book, Roarke will have to go on the hunt…and every woman he meets, even those closest to him, may prove deadly.

ABOUT ALEXANDRA SOKOLOFF

I’m the Thriller Award-winning and Bram Stoker and Anthony Award-nominated author of the Amazon bestselling crime and supernatural thrillers The Harrowing, The Price, Book of Shadows, The Unseen, The Space Between, and the new Thriller Award- nominated Huntress/FBI thriller series: Huntress Moon, Blood Moon, Cold Moon. Bitter Moon, Hunger Moon. The New York Times Book Review has called me “a daughter of Mary Shelley” and my novels “some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre.”

I’m a California native and a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, where I majored in theater and minored in everything that Berkeley has a reputation for. After college I moved to Los Angeles, where I’ve made an interesting living doing novel adaptations and selling original thriller scripts to various Hollywood studios.

In my stories I like to cross the possibility of the supernatural with very real life explanations for any strangeness going on, and base the action squarely in fact. THE UNSEEN is based on real paranormal research conducted at the Duke University parapsychology lab, and BOOK OF SHADOWS teams a Boston homicide detective and a practicing Salem witch in a race to solve what may be a Satanic killing. THE SPACE BETWEEN, is an edgy supernatural YA about a troubled high school girl who is having dreams of a terrible massacre at her school, and becomes convinced that she can prevent the shooting if she can unravel the dream.

I also have written paranormal romance (THE SHIFTERS, KEEPER OF THE SHADOWS) and the non-fiction workbooks SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS and WRITING LOVE, based on my internationally acclaimed workshops and blog (http://screenwritingtricks.com)

I live in Los Angeles and in Scotland, with Scottish crime author Craig Robertson.

When I’m not writing I dance: jazz, ballet, salsa, Lindy, swing – I do it all, every chance I get.

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MY ALEXANDRA SOKOLOFF REVIEWS

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Not for the Faint of Heart – Christmas Hostage by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Posted on December 5, 2017 by fundinmental

I am so happy to be sharing Jane Blythe’s new novel, Christmas Hostage, just in time for the holidays.

Jane not only, writes some fabulous romantic suspense stories, but is an interesting person in her own right. Just check out her bio and see some of her many interests.

Cover: QDesigns

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Action from the getgo.

Hannah’s friend is shot and killed in a jewelry store robbery and we are off and running in this suspenseful Christmas mystery. I got wrapped up in the characters, as well as the story and she kept the mystery alive with the villain mixed into a list of suspects. This is a story of second chances and maybe this time Hannah and Tom will get it right.

Hannah won’t let anyone help her, touch her. She sat on the floor, against the wall, and cried as the police did their work…Until…

Tom Drake, her FBI ex husband arrives on the scene and back into her life. He knew she was strong and wouldn’t want his help, but there are bad guys on the run and who knew where they would strike next.

As Christmas approaches, Hannah’s determined to carry on, business as usual in the jewelry store. She is focused, going step by step, keeping moving, life goes on. It doesn’t mean bad memories don’t haunt her.And Tom’s just as determined to solve the crime.

It wasn’t his choice to walk away from her, but they were no good together any more. It was what she wanted, or so he thought. Whatever happened to cause the split must have been horrifying and I am waiting, foot tapping, impatiently waiting, to find out what.

Perceptions are not facts.

“That’s not what happened.”

“Yes, it was.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Yes, it was.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

I love how Jane Blythe’s writing allows the characters personalities to shine through. Now, if they would just learn to listen, to communicate. Maybe they never would have split up in the first place.

Jane Blythe has bounced me around, fooling me, several times now. As the suspects fall, one by one, I know there is more to come and only one will be left standing. This….this is the moment HE will be revealed…and I don’t know who HE is.

I have him in my sights now?

I hate when the woman refuses to be a victim, then puts herself in the hands of the one who wants her dead. BUT, I watch a lot of ID TV and it happens in real life all the time.

A horrific, unimaginable attack, but she is strong and will fight to her dying breath.

Jane Blythe writes some fantastic suspense thrillers and manages to keep me guessing. I like when I can’t figure out who the villain is. The characters grab hold of me and don’t let me go. The suspense and anticipation builds…and builds…

I do like my happy ever afters and Jane manages to supply those as well. Definitely left me with a warm fuzzy feeling and a Christmasy smile on my face, but this is not for the faint of heart.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Christmas Hostage by Jane Blythe.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Tragedy tore them apart now its giving them a second chance.

FBI Agent Tom Drake has been investigating a string of armed robberies at jewelry stores. The last person he expects to see when he arrives at the scene of the latest robbery is his ex-wife Hannah Buffy.

Hannah is conflicted about seeing her ex-husband again, especially when he starts claiming he thinks the robbery at her store isn’t related to the other ones. Is this just another excuse for Tom to treat her like a victim or could he be right?

** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.

When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Teaser Tuesday #101 – Strong To The Bone by Jon Land @jondland

Posted on December 5, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• 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! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

~~~~~~

Strong to the Bone by Jon Land releases today, so I wanted to take a moment to tell you about this rootin tootin, smash bang novel of action and mystery that culminates in a rip roaring ending not to be missed. You can see my review HERE.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY TEASE

The force of the water bursting out of the barrel nearly knocked her backward off the truck. But she managed to right herself and then repositioned herself, as she doused the tight cluster of students between the truck and the restaurant entrance with the gun’s powerful stream.

(page 32 in ARC published in 2017)

I love Caitlin Strong. I can just see her spraying everyone with the fire hose as she tries to clear a path to the building where she believes a girl is being raped. Nothing stand in her way!

GOODREADS BLURB

Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong takes on a gang of neo-Nazis in Strong Cold Dead, an action-packed novel of the critically acclaimed Caitlin Strong series by Jon Land

1944: Texas Ranger Jim Strong investigates a triple murder inside a Nazi POW camp in Texas.

The Present: His daughter, fifth generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong, finds herself pursuing the killer her father never caught in the most personal case of her career a conspiracy stretching from that Nazi POW camp to a modern-day neo-Nazi gang.

A sinister movement has emerged from the shadows of history, determined to undermine the American way of life. Its leader, Armand Fisker, has an army at his disposal, a deadly bio-weapon, and a reputation for being unbeatable. But he s never taken on the likes of Caitlin Strong and her outlaw lover, Cort Wesley Masters.

To prevent an unspeakable cataclysm, Caitlin and Cort Wesley must win a war the world thought was over.

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Monday Minis – 3 Novels by Candace Calvert @candacecalvert

Posted on December 4, 2017 by fundinmental

I won these signed paperbacks and it was a very pleasant surprise reading them.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

My Review for Critical Care

No villains here, in this uplifting hospital romance with characters that brought tears to my eyes, and I was so surprised that it it did. The writing drug me into what I thought would be just one of those hospital romances I used to read years ago. Now, I am deeper, more sophisticated….and so is this story. I thought this would be a three rating…until Sarah’s trouble. Religious without being preachy. Have I become a hopeless romantic? Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

My Review for Disaster Status

One thing that bothered me early, the word description of Nick didn’t match the cover, but, I am glad to be back with some familiar characters, and this is Erin’s story. It doesn’t take me long to start smiling. Erin, oh my…she cracks me up. I love what she did to the bully when she was seven years old. I love the feisty Nana. Sarge, a great guy in a very sad and tragic situation. Ocean air is always refreshing and so is this stand alone romance series. Life isn’t fair, but…love, loss, friendship, family, despair and a rebirth of faith and hope is a part of Disaster Status and makes me rate this….4 Stars.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

My Review for Code Triage

Communication lost, mistakes made, dreams crushed…Can hearts be healed, mistakes forgiven and love prevail? The dinner at the Tonga Room shows how happiness and love can be given and shared without any thought of self, just making someone’s difficult life a little better, Death, danger and loss reads as if this could be a true story. The characters shine, regardless of their faults and foibles. 4 Stars

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One Sentence Review – Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer Seeley @katedyerseeley

Posted on December 2, 2017 by fundinmental

Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer Seeley is a cozy mystery that is sure to hit the spot, when you are curled up in your favorite reading place with a warm beverage.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

As our adventure on the slopes begins, shades of The Shining rears it ugly head…the Timberline, snowcats…and I give Meg a lot of credit because she is terrified of most outdoor things, and Kate Dyer Seeley puts her in harms way to entertain us in this fun cozy mystery, with travel tips for your visit to Mt Hood, Oregon.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

After talking her way into a job writing for Portland’s Northwest Extreme magazine, Meg Reed may now really be in over her head. Actually, about 8,000 feet over her head. . .

She’s at Mount Hood’s remote Silcox Hut, covering the the seriously hardcore Ridge Rangers– Oregon’s elite high-altitude rescue team–during their four-day winter training. Sure, Meg beefed up her outdoor skills over the summer . . . but she’s still hoping to cover the event with some hot chocolate by the cheery fireplace. Then, during a sudden blizzard, she swears she hears gunshots. No one stranded in the hut believes her . . . until self-absorbed Ridge Ranger Ben Rogers is found outside in a pool of frozen blood. Meg’s now got to find this killer quickly . . . before cabin fever does them all in!

MY REVIEWS BY KATE DYER SEELEY

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25 Authors for Hurricane Relief #HurricaneRelief #OneAmericaAppeal

Posted on December 2, 2017 by fundinmental

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A GREAT DEAL WRAPPED IN A GOOD DEED

Something to satisfy every reader’s tastes, from mystery and espionage, to sci-fi, and political intrigue, offered by a collection of New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon best-selling authors, with all royalties going to help hurricane victims in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and The U.S. Virgin Islands.

THE AUTHORS.

Bobby Adair / Jay Allan / M.L. Banner / Richard Bard / D.V. Berkom /Russell Blake

Rhett C. Bruno / Rebecca Cantrell / Ian Graham /Franklin Horton / Christine Kling

Steven Konkoly / Anthony Melchiorri / Jake Needham / A.R. Shaw / Tim Tigner

Michael Wallace / Andrew Watts / William H. Weber / Simon Wood / Tom Abrahams

THE STORIES

Buy It Now

Click any author name above to go to their website.

25 Authors for Hurricane Relief Bring You:

Help Hurricane Victims Across the US and Get Some Great Reading in the Bargain

Support a worthy cause and fill up your Kindle with thrillers dirt cheap.

You’ll get:25 full length novels from best-selling Authors

Over 90% off the regular price

Weeks of entertainment. Over $100 worth of ebooks for less than $10

100% of royalties go to the One America Appeal for Hurricane Relief

It’s like a donation where you get 10 times your money back

You can see more here.

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Wild Horses and a Legacy of Evil by Sharon Buchbinder @sbuchbinder

Posted on December 1, 2017 by fundinmental

Legacy of Evil by Sharon Buchbinder is the second book of the Hotel LaBelle series.

Both books will stand alone.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Legacy of Evil is Book II, but it can stand alone.

Emma Horserider is an ex marine, and her name is so appropriate because of her bond with animals, especially the wild horses she loves so much. She has a telepathic connection to them. She is a dog and horse whisperer.

The Native American mysticism crosses boundaries with the military and a bike riding hunk who goes by the name of Brandon Winchester.

Terrorism…enter Homeland Security in the form of Brandon Winchester. Emma’s brother, Bert Blackfeather, is his boss and sends him to help her, after a herd of wild horses is attacked and she almost loses her life. Brandon is a remote viewer in the Anomaly Defense Division, think of the old CIA Paranormal experiments. He also has a telepathic connection to his cat, Gaucho.

Sparks fly. I really enjoy the fun and flirty dialogue between them.

Dear God, how she loved an inked up wild man on a bike.

The wild cast of characters quickly won over my heart. I laughed with them, feared for them, and hoped they would make it through the danger okay. I love the warrior women. Strong female characters appeal to me and Sharon Buchbinder gives us some doozies. The supporting cast is just as interesting.

“You’re a Twerp whisperer Steph. Thanks for defusing the little hand grenade.”

I love her outrageous cousin, Stephanie. I wonder…will she have a story of her own? What do you say Sharon?

When it becomes too dangerous for her to stay home, she moves, temporarily, to Hotel LaBelle. To get the full story on Lucius Stewart, Tallulah Thompson and her pug, Franny you will want to read The Haunting of Hotel LaBelle.

Like fighting like, the upcoming battle hits close to home for both of them and Bronco’s past will come full circle.

Full of so much goodness, so many of the things I love, danger, suspense, humor and sadness, lives lost and lives saved.

The seriousness of the story still leaves time for humorous writing that keeps the pace flowing smoothly. Legacy of Evil is wrapped up in a happy ever after ending, yet left the story open for more…and I want it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Legacy of Evil by Sharon Buchbinder.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When a wild mustang is shot in Montana, renowned horse whisperer and telepath, Emma Horserider, is called in to calm the herd and find out what happened. Once on scene she is almost killed by a bullet-spewing drone, and calls her black ops brother for back-up.

Emma’s help roars into her life covered in tattoos and riding a Harley. Remote viewer Bronco Winchester takes the assignment because he is ordered to, but he wonders what type of assistance, his boss’s sister needs. That is until he sees Emma, a valiant Warrior Woman proud of her Crow heritage.

Posing as a married couple, Emma and Bronco go undercover to infiltrate and stop a hate group. Both are anxious enough without the now growing attachment they feel for one another. When the lives of many are on the line, they are not sure if they will live or die—let alone have a chance at love.

ABOUT SHARON BUCHBINDER

After working in health care delivery for years, Sharon Buchbinder became an association executive, a health care researcher, and an academic in higher education. She had it all–a terrific, supportive husband, an amazing son and a wonderful job. But that itch to write (some call it an obsession) kept beckoning her to “come on back” to writing fiction. Thanks to the kindness of family, friends, critique partners, and beta readers, she is published in non-fiction, as well as contemporary, erotic, paranormal ,and romantic suspense. When not attempting to make students, colleagues, and babies laugh, she can be found herding cats, waiting on a large gray dog, fishing, dining with good friends, or writing.

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MY SHARON BUCHBINDER REVIEWS

The Haunting of Hotel LaBelle

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Friday 56 #146 – Vostok by Steve Alten @meg82159

Posted on December 1, 2017 by fundinmental

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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.

~~~

OMG. Such a fabulous cover of Vostok by Steve Alten, a Meg(a) Hit. There is no way I will ever pass on the chance to read one of his novels.

You can see my 5 star review here.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY 56

At one point she interrupted the conversation to remind me that Willy’s nanny was due to leave soon and that we really needed to get back to our room

And then she winked!

That was all the prompting I needed.

(Pages 56 in hardcover published in 2015)

GOODREADS BLURB

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to steve

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.”

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Review – The Passenger by Lisa Lutz @lisalutz

Posted on November 30, 2017 by fundinmental

I read Passenger by Lisa Lutz some time ago and it’s one of those reviews that just got lost in the shuffle. So…let’s get started.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

The mystery has begun and Lisa Lutz kept me guessing until the end.

Tanya’s husband falls down the stairs and dies. When she finds him, she runs. Why?

On the run, she hooks up with Blue…WHOA. She is a badass and could definitely teach Tanya some lessons. Wonder what her story is?

Trouble comes looking for them and bodies fall.

How would you go about creating a new identity….a new life?

Their life keeps getting more complicated and I wonder what will become of them. My curiosity and Lisa’s pacing and suspense keep me tearing through the pages, wanting answers, but…

Lisa Lutz is not new to me. I have checked her books out from the library and enjoyed them. Passenger is full of a lot of words and some took me on long convoluted paths. Were they there to just lengthen the story or were they essential to the character development and suspense? I don’t expect fiction to be ‘real’ but, to me, a suspense novel like Passenger doesn’t need events just to have them. Know what I mean? It just slows the pacing and lessens the suspense and I like the white knuckled, breath holding, must know what happens next feeling.

I don’t quite get what’s going on and don’t find out why she is running until the last 20%. I do love that I didn’t know the story and had to read to the end to find the answers I was seeking.

Blue kept popping in and out and I loved it. There are no heroes here. All in all, I enjoyed the story.

I read an ARC, so I hope Lisa trims the fat and makes this the top notch book I feel it can be.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Passenger by Lisa Lutz.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death. I don’t have an alibi, so you’ll have to take my word for it…

Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time.

She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born.

It’s almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret…can she outrun her past?

ABOUT LISA LUTZ

Lisa Lutz is the New York Times bestselling author of the six books in the Spellman series, How to Start a Fire, Heads you Lose (with David Hayward), and the children’s book, How to Negotiate Everything (illustrated by Jaime Temairik). Her latest book, The Passenger, a psychological thriller, will be published March 2016 by Simon and Schuster. Lutz has won the Alex award and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel.

Although she attended UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine, the University of Leeds in England, and San Francisco State University, she still does not have a bachelor’s degree. Lisa spent most of the 1990s hopping through a string of low-paying odd jobs while writing and rewriting the screenplay Plan B, a mob comedy. After the film was made in 2000, she vowed she would never write another screenplay. Lisa lives in the Hudson Valley, NY.

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Giveaway – I Burned Down His House by Jessica Frances #Jessica Frances @XpressoReads

Posted on November 30, 2017 by fundinmental

I Burned Down His House
Jessica Frances
(Love at First Crime #3)
Publication date: November 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

She burned his house down, so he lit a fire between them that she could never extinguish.

So, I burned his house down.

It was an accident.

I mean, technically, the dog did it.

Well, the dog helped me to do it.

Did I mention it was an accident?

When circumstances mean I suddenly have a new housemate,

A man who is my ultimate fantasy,

And my entire world is turned upside down by new friends,

And a dog who likes to get me into trouble,

I have to wonder how my life got so crazy.

Add in my neighbor, who is under investigation;

Some unfinished business from the past, which just won’t go away;

Interfering family, who don’t know when to stop;

And mixed signals, making me wonder if fantasies really can come true,

And you have my new, hectic, crazy life.

But, when things take a dangerous turn,

And lives are on the line,

Will we all make it through in one piece?

Or is everything destined to crumble down around us?

Who would have thought that burning down a house would change everything so much?

Then again, as some people say: there is nothing quite like love at first … crime.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Trying not to feel like a loser that I have Joey’s number memorized, I dial, hoping like hell he picks up. It has to be in the incredibly early hours of morning, so there is every chance, if he hasn’t come home yet, it’s because he’s out with someone and won’t answer.

After five, drawn-out, torturous rings, he finally picks up.

“What?” he grumbles. I can’t tell if I woke him up, or if he’s just annoyed to be disturbed.

“Hey, Joey, it’s Teagan—”

“Who?”

I pause, annoyed I’m so forgettable he can’t remember who he gave his house key to! “Teagan Bevon, the woman who lives next door?”

“Oh … Oh!” There is finally recognition in his voice. “Right. Look, Teags”—he sounds so distracted I don’t think he even noticed he gave me a nickname—“I’m kinda busy—”

“But—”

“—so I’ll just see you later—”

“Wait!” I cry out, afraid I will hear the dial tone any second.

“Actually, you probably won’t see me later. I’m going to be—”

“I BURNED YOUR HOUSE DOWN!” I scream into the phone and am finally met with silence. “Joey?” I whisper, fearful he already hung up.

“Can you repeat that for me?” he finally gasps out.

“I …” Now I feel nervous. “I … umm … I accidently”—I use too much emphasis on the word, making me sound extra guilty—“burned down your house.”

“Are you okay?”

My heart skips a beat. I just told this man that I burned down his house and his first thought is if I’m okay?

“Some smoke inhalation, but nothing serious. I’m so sorry about your things—”

“How about Karma?”

“Karma got out fine. She’s with the Glovers,” So … maybe she’s not okay. The almost ninety-year-old couple may not be quite at the same speed as Karma.

As he sighs in relief, my hands begin to shake again.

“Joey, I’m so sorry.”

Author Bio:

Jessica lives in Adelaide, South Australia. When she is not writing, you can find her reading, napping or watching excessive amounts of TV. Connect with her on Facebook and Goodreads.

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